Woman’s bald spot turned out to be caused by breast cancer
Breast cancer can manifest in unusual ways
Breast cancer can manifest in unusual ways
Breast cancer can manifest in unusual ways
Early detection is key in fighting . While many women on a regular basis and schedule annual mammograms, breast cancer can also manifest itself in , such as in or around the collarbone, in the armpits — and even on the . When Patty Bolle, a Michigan woman, went to see her hairdresser, she discovered a suspicious-looking bald spot.
"It was just about bigger than a dime size, and it looked like it had been burned,” Bolle's hairdresser, Nikki McClure, told , a local news station in Lansing, Michigan. “It was kind of red and splotchy, and so I asked her if she burned it and she said no, and I kind of poked it a little bit and asked if it was sensitive, and she said no."
Bolle went to her doctors, who biopsied her scalp and determined it was metastatic breast cancer, of the disease. "I was devastated and in shock because I had already battled it for 13 years ago and won," she said.
Bolle was diagnosed with breast cancer 13 years ago after finding a lump in her breast. She underwent chemo and radiation treatment over the course of nine months. The treatment worked and after she passed the five-year mark of remission, she thought she was clear and free of cancer forever.
Bolle is currently taking an oral drug that targets cancer cells and is feeling optimistic, despite the fact that she knows “it will eventually come back.”
is the most deadly form of breast cancer because it spreads to other parts of the body — most commonly, the bones, lungs, liver and brains. According to a , breast cancer manifestations in the head and neck are relatively rare.
While the chances are slim that your hairdresser is going to find breast cancer on your head, McClure’s story is a great reminder that your body is constantly giving you clues about your health in a variety of ways.