Paget's Disease of the Nipple

What is Paget's disease of the nipple?
How does it occur?
What are the symptoms?
How is it diagnosed?
How long will the effects of Paget's disease last?
What can be done to help prevent this from recurring?

Paget's disease is one type of breast cancer. With proper treatment it can be cured.

What is Paget's disease of the nipple?

Paget's disease is a slowly growing cancer of the nipple. It is a rare cancer, accounting for only 1 percent of all breast cancers.

How does it occur?

When abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, they are called tumors. It is not known why they occur. In Paget's disease, the tumor starts in the milk ducts of the nipple.

What are the symptoms?

One of the biggest problems with Paget's disease of the nipple is that its symptoms appear to be harmless. It is frequently thought to be a skin inflammation or infection, leading to unfortunate delays in detection and care.

The symptoms include:

A persistent redness, oozing, and crusting of your nipple causing it to itch and burn.
A sore on your nipple that will not heal.
Usually only one nipple is affected.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you about your history of illnesses. Even though the redness, oozing, and crusting closely resemble dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), your doctor will suspect cancer if the sore is only on one breast. Your doctor will order a biopsy of your sore to confirm the diagnosis. A biopsy is a procedure in which the doctor takes a sample of your breast tissue to test for cancer. A mammogram (x-ray) of both breasts will be done to look for other cancers.

If the cancer is only in the nipple and not in the breast, your doctor may recommend just removing the nipple and surrounding tissue or suggest radiation treatments. If a mass is found deep in your breast, your doctor will discuss treatment alternatives, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

How long will the effects of Paget's disease last?

The cancerous sore will remain on your nipple and may spread deeper into your breast unless you have surgical treatment or radiation treatments. Your doctor will advise you as to the best treatment for your disease.

What can be done to help prevent this from recurring?

Check monthly for any lumps, sores, or oozing from your breasts and report any breast changes to your doctor immediately.

Related Sites:

American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute- CancerNet
The University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center Resource- Breast Cancer
A daily summary of breast cancer-related news and articles