Sometimes a cancer in the breast can cause a dry scaly rash (like eczema) around the nipple of that breast. This can happen even if you cannot feel a lump in the breast itself. Although there can be other causes for these sort of changes in the nipple if there is a cancer it is important to get it diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. So you should never ignore a rash on one of your nipples, or just wait to see if it goes away.

This means that you should go to see your family doctor immediately so that he or she can take all the details and give you a proper examination.

The Department of Health has recently given clear guidelines to general practitioners about women who come to them with rashes affecting the nipple. These say that they should arrange an urgent appointment with a specialist in breast disease to check for anyone who comes with a dry scaly rash, on the nipple, which has appeared over the previous few months.

An urgent appointment usually means that the breast specialist will see you within two weeks.

When the breast specialist sees you he or she will usually do a careful physical examination of your breast and a mammogram (an x-ray of your breast). They will usually do a biopsy of the affected skin and if they find a lump in the breast, or if this show up on the mammogram then they will also do a biopsy of the lump. The biopsy takes a tiny sample of tissue from the skin and the lump so that it can be looked at under the microscope. In most breast clinics the results of these tests will be back the same day, so you will know almost immediately if there is a cancer there.

If there is a cancer then you will need surgery to remove it and possibly some radiotherapy, chemotherapy or hormone treatment but the specialist and the breast care nurses at the clinic will explain this to you.

Do remember that these days breast cancer is a very curable condition, especially if it is caught early, so if you do notice a rash on one of your nipples don't delay - go to your doctor straight away!