fullcortex.net

(1999)

Is there a breast-nipple cancer by the name of Paiget’s disease?

Paget’s disease of the breast is an uncommon form of breast cancer that involves primarily the nipple area in middle-aged women. Sir James Paget, an English surgeon, first described this problem over a century ago. He also identified an unrelated problem of the skeleton known as Paget’s disease of the bone.
Although Paget’s disease of the breast is cancerous (malignant), it may appear as a benign-looking, scaling and crusting lesion resembling eczema that involves just the skin of the nipple. It also may cause a nipple discharge that is easily ignored or assumed to be just a skin infection. In reality, the problem may be deeper than that, with a localized or invasive cancer in the ducts of the breast below the nipple. In many instances, a lump can be felt in the nipple area.
Diagnosis may be possible by cytology examination (inspecting any nipple discharge for cancer cells). More often, a biopsy of the involved area is needed. Treatment and prognosis depend on the size of the tumor, and whether it is invasive or has spread to the lymph nodes. Surgical treatment may involve only local excision of a non-invasive tumor. A larger or more aggressive tumor may require more extensive removal of breast tissue.
Be sure to examine the nipple area carefully as part of each breast self-examination. Do not ignore a lump in this area or what may seem a minor skin irritation of the nipple that persists for more than a short time.