question about skin mets too

First in answer to your ? re skin mets--I read on another board (inflammatory b.c. list, I think) that one gal who is receiving the topical medication, Miltex, from Germany is having good success with that.
Now for my ? Yesterday morning I woke up with a rash on the site of my mastectomy and below--on the side that was not malignant. There were about 8 to 12 spots that were about 1/8 inch round and then there were a bunch of tiney dots. One of the larger dots was right on the scar line. (I had lobular the type most likely to appear on the other side. I did not have radiation to that side, and my surgeon left extra skin (and tissue?) should I ever want reconstruction.
The rash was much better today--almost not there. Four months ago I had a really strange skin reaction on that side--a row of blisters. They appeared one night and were there the next morning. I was of course at first worried about mets but then thought about the possibility of shingles; however, they did not itch or hurt. I decided to get it checked out because our daughter was coming into town for the weekend and had a summer job starting right afterwards as a nanny for a newly adopted newborn. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't contagious. Well, by the time I got to the dr. there was only one lesion left. It was fluid filled but much smaller than in the morning and the night before. We had taken pictures of the lesions and I showed the dr. He said that they did look like shingles but were not acting like them--they should have hurt if shingles and not have gone aways so fast. He told me he didn't want to treat for that since they had gone away.
Anyway, I learned on the bc mets group that others who have had skin mets reported that they have appeared and disappeared in a similar manner. However, the dr's I've seen said if they were skin mets they would stay.
The rash I have now is different then the fluid filled lesions I had last Spring and again this is the first time one was on my scar line.
Oh, and I forgot to mention I saw my dermatologist earlier in the month. He commented to me that he has only seen one case of skin mets and one case of inflammatory b.c. mets on the skin. That did NOT make me feel overly confident--since any time I have had a skin problem I am sent to the dermatologist.
Does anyone have an oncologist or other dr. who is experienced with skin mets? I am willing to travel just about anywhere to get a knowledgeable evaluation.

Kaye to answer your question about skin mets. I was told and according to my research the only way to know if it is skin mets is a punch biopsy of the skin. They came come and go and appear in different forms. They can be pink, red, purple and rough nodules, pimples, blisters, spots etc. They can itch, burn or do nothing. Have you checked the skin mets on the web?? Just type in skin mets and you should see pictures etc. They are very rare and most oncology doctors have never seen them. I don't know of anyone who specializes in them as there are so few cases. I am my own advacate for this very reason. When I have any change in the skin on the chest and it doesn't disappear in a week or two then I push for a biopsy unfortunately, I have been correct even when the doctor says its not skin mets. They can be very unpredictable as with this whole disease process. I hope this helps you. Hugs, Sandy

I wish there were pics of all the different types online...