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Dr. Dalliah "Shon" Black of The Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy.

Dr. Dalliah Black Of The Hoffberger Breast Center At Mercy Addresses Paget's Disease And Breast Cancer

While many people know of Paget's disease as a bone disorder or arthritis, it's also a rare type of breast cancer, according to doctors.

Just months ago, Debbie Dortzbach's life was suddenly put on hold when she noticed a change in one of her breasts.

"When I noticed bleeding — unusual bleeding — from the nipple in my breast, I knew that was not common," she said.

A biopsy showed she had the rare cancer of the breast. According to breast surgeon Dr. Dalliah Black of the Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy, Paget's disease is responsible for about 3 percent of all breast cancer cases.

"Paget's disease is an uncommon type of breast cancer that involves the nipple and may often times involve an invasive breast cancer within the breast tissue," Dr. Black said.

She said the symptoms of Paget's disease could often look like eczema or a skin irritation.

"They may be very subtle. People may have just nipple itching or redness or flaking of the nipple, a sort of crusting or nipple discharge, or if it gets undiagnosed over time, it can be nipple erosion," Dr. Black said.

Last month, Dortzbach had a full mastectomy and is currently back to work and on a normal routine. She said she advises other women that if they notice any unusual changes in their breasts to not ignore them.

"It is important to pay attention to any change in your body," she said.