I suffered for YEARS from symptoms that were constantly misdiagnosed as eczema…in fact it was deadly breast cancer
A 41-year-old mother of two has warned women to pay attention to subtle changes in their bodies – after her breast cancer ‘red flag’ signal was ignored for more than three years.
Em Davey, who lives in Australia, noticed dry and flaky skin on her right breast in 2021, which doctors told her was likely eczema.
She had no reason to doubt this, as she assumed the irritated patch was related to breastfeeding two children in the past five years.
But within months, the wellness blogger started noticing sores and scabs around her nipple, sparking even more alarm.
However, doctors repeatedly sent her off with eczema and antifungal creams until an astute GP sent her for a biopsy in the autumn of this year.
In September she was diagnosed with Paget’s disease, a condition that affects the nipple and is linked to breast cancer in half of cases.
Further tests revealed a cancerous growth behind her nipple, as well as pre-cancerous cells in her milk ducts.
Mrs Davey is awaiting the results to find out if the disease has spread to her lymph nodes, which will give an indication of the prognosis.
Em Davey, who lives in Australia, noticed dry and flaky skin on her right breast in 2021, which doctors told her was likely eczema. But in September she was diagnosed with Paget’s disease of the breast
Recalling the first sign that something was wrong, she said: ‘I was in the shower when I noticed that my right nipple looked quite dry in the center and a small, crusty piece of skin was coming off.
‘I thought it was a bit strange, but also thought it might have something to do with stopping breastfeeding (even though that was a while ago).
‘Over the next few months, my right nipple slowly began to undergo a series of changes.
‘It happened slowly, but at the same time it was clear. It was itchy, irritated, burning, tingling and looked dry and flaky. The other one was completely fine.’
Over the months her symptoms started to improve slightly before they became much worse again.’
Eventually, her nipple became flat – also called an inverted nipple, which is a warning sign of breast cancer.
‘If this is a change you have noticed, see your GP as soon as possible and discuss a possible biopsy. No creams,” Ms Davey recently stressed Instagram post.
‘Unfortunately, because Paget’s breast disease is quite rare, it is often misdiagnosed as nipple eczema for months, if not years, which is unfortunately what happened to me. I don’t want this for anyone else.’
Mrs Davey (pictured with her family) awaits results to know if the disease has spread to her lymph nodes, which will give an indication of the prognosis
Ms Davey has since had surgery to remove her right nipple and surrounding breast tissue. She also recently started a year-long course of chemotherapy.
“No symptom is too small, too silly, too irrelevant,” she said.
‘Don’t let others tell you that you are doing well or that you are exaggerating. The past few months have taught me a lot about my health and self-defense.
‘Knowing that deep down things weren’t right, but finding someone who would listen was a struggle. Never give up the fight for your health.”
Around 55,000 women and 370 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in Britain every year, says Breast Cancer Now.
Meanwhile, approximately 300,000 new cases of breast cancer in women are diagnosed each year in the US.
The most common first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid-filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. This usually presents as a swelling or lump in an armpit.
However, changes in the skin, such as dimples or a rash on the animal, can also be a warning sign.
In some cases, breast cancer can cause discharge, rash, or crusting around the nipple.
Most women with Paget’s disease — which affects about 1 to 4 percent of breast cancer patients — who do not have a lump have noninvasive cancer, in which the cancer cells are in one or more parts of the breast and have not yet spread . .
In recent years, doctors have expressed concern about the rising number of cancer cases in young people.
According to Cancer Research UK, the rate of breast cancer among people aged 25 to 49 has risen by almost a fifth since 1990.
Lifestyle habits such as an unhealthy diet that causes weight gain and drinking alcohol are thought to be causing the rise in cases.
That’s because alcohol increases estrogen levels in the blood, and abnormally high levels of this hormone have been linked to breast cancer.
Being overweight also increases the risk of 13 types of cancer, including breast cancer.