How to Identify a rare breast cancer

How to spot a potentially rare breast cancer that you seldom ever hear about

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Monthly inspection

1. Perform monthly breast inspections as taught by your physicians or breast cancer articles. Expand this inspection to focus on the nipple area.

2. If you see a crusting or dry spot on the nipple area, check to see if that area appears to be shriveling or if the nipple seems to be leaning in the direction of the dry spot. Check for flat hardened area beneath the nipple. If you find these characteristics, consult your physician immediately. This may be an indication of a rare form of breast cancer called Pagets Disease of the nipple.

3. Be insistent with your physician that this be evaluated immediately. I did and it saved my life. I refused to "watch it for 6 months" since there was only a hardened flat spot, no lump. It did not show up on a mammogram or an ultra sound. Insist on a biopsy. My biopsy indicated this rare cancer and it had already infiltrated to a lymph node.

Tips & Warnings

• My insistence began my journey to save my life. Trust your instincts and listen to your body.