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Paget's Disease of The Nipple

Key Points

  • Paget's disease of the nipple is an uncommon type of cancer that forms in or around the nipple.
  • Paget's disease of the nipple is almost always associated with an underlying breast cancer.
  • Scientists do not know what causes Paget's disease of the nipple, but two major theories have been suggested for how it develops.
  • Symptoms of early-stage disease may include redness or crusting of the nipple skin' symptoms of more advanced disease often include tingling, itching, increased sensitivity, burning, or pain in the nipple.
  • Paget's disease of the nipple is diagnosed by performing a biopsy.
  • Surgery is the usual treatment for Paget's disease of the nipple. Additional treatments may be recommended under certain circumstances.
  • Many clinical trials for breast cancer are underway.

What is Paget's disease of the nipple?

Paget's disease of the nipple, also called Paget's disease of the breast, is an uncommon type of cancer that forms in or around the nipple (1, 2, 3). More than 95 percent of people with Paget's disease of the nipple also have underlying breast cancer; however, Paget's disease of the nipple accounts for less than 5 percent of all breast cancers (1). For instance, of the 211,240 new cases of breast cancer projected to be diagnosed in 2005, fewer than 11,000 will also involve Paget's disease of the nipple (4).

Most patients diagnosed with Paget's disease of the nipple are over age 50, but rare cases have been diagnosed in patients in their 20s (1). The average age at diagnosis is 62 for women and 69 for men. The disease is rare among both women and men.

Paget's disease of the nipple was named after Sir James Paget, a scientist who noted an association between changes in the appearance of the nipple and underlying breast cancer (1, 5). There are several other unrelated diseases named after Paget, including Paget's disease of the bone and Paget's disease of the vulva; this fact sheet discusses only Paget's disease of the nipple.




Next: What are the possible causes of Paget's disease of the nipple? »

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Paget's Disease of The Nipple

Breast »

What is the breast?

The breast generally refers to the front of the chest and medically specifically to the mammary gland.

(The word "mammary" comes from "mamma," the Greek and Latin word for the breast, which derives from the cry "mama" uttered by infants and young children, sometimes meaning "I want to feed at the breast.")

How is the mammary gland designed?

The mammary gland is a milk-producing structure that is composed largely of fat cells (cells capable of storing fat). The fat deposits are laid down in the breast under the influence of the female hormone estrogen. Just as the surge of estrogens at adolescence encourages this process, androgens, such as testosterone, discourage it.

Within the mammary gland there is a complex network of branching ducts (tubes or channels). These ducts exit from sac-like structures called lobules.

The lobules in the breast are the glands that can produce mil...

Read the Breast article »




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