Paget's Disease of the Breast Health Article

Definition

Paget's disease of the breast is a rare type of breast cancer that is characterized by a red, scaly lesion on the nipple and surrounding tissue (areola).

Description

Paget's disease of the breast, also called mammary Paget's disease, is a rare breast condition that is often associated with underlying breast cancer. It is believed that Paget's disease of the breast occurs when invasive carcinoma or intraductal carcinoma (cancer of the milk ducts) spreads through the milk ducts to the nipple.

Although in most cases the underlying breast cancer is extensive, in 10% of the cases, cancer only affects the nipple and surrounding tissue. Rarely, there is no detectable underlying breast cancer. Paget's disease located elsewhere on the body (extramammary Paget's disease) is rarely associated with an underlying invasive cancer. This type of Paget's disease, most commonly found on and around the genitals, is believed to arise directly from the cells lining certain sweat gland ducts. Possibly, the few cases of mammary Paget's disease without an underlying breast cancer have a similar origin.

Paget's disease of the breast accounts for 2% of all breast cancers. On average, women are 62 years old and men are 69 years old at diagnosis. Breast cancer rarely occurs in men.

Causes and symptoms

The causes of Paget's disease of the breast are unknown. The most common signs and symptoms of Paget's disease include redness, scaling, and flaking on and around the nipple and areola. Other symptoms include itching, tingling, burning, oversensitivity, or pain. The lesion may bleed or weep and open sores (ulcers) may be present.

Diagnosis

A thorough breast examination would be performed. A breast mass can be felt (palpated) in about half of the women with Paget's disease. Mammography and ultra-sonography should be conducted to look for cancer within the breast that cannot be felt.

The definitive diagnosis of Paget's disease is the presence of a certain cell type, called Paget's cells, in the skin of the nipple. A tissue sample may be easily obtained by touching a microscope slide to a weeping lesion or by scraping a scaly or crusted lesion gently with a microscope slide. Alternatively, a sample of the lesion may be obtained by cutting out a small piece of nipple tissue (biopsy). The biopsy would be performed with local anesthetic in the physician's office. If a mass was felt, a breast biopsy would be performed.

Treatments and prognosis

Treatments

The traditional treatment of Paget's disease of the breast is to surgically remove the breast (mastectomy). Conservative surgery, (nipple-areolar sacrificing lumpectomy) in which just the nipple, areola, and underlying tissue are removed, may be sufficient in some cases. The underarm (axillary) lymph nodes are rarely sampled or removed (lymphadenectomy), unless an underlying invasive cancer is a concern.

Radiation therapy may be used as adjuvant therapy to complement the surgical treatment, and if a lumpectomy is performed, radiation must be employed. Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation from x rays and gamma rays to kill the cancer cells. The skin in the treated area may become red and dry, and fatigue is also a common side effect.

Chemotherapy, also used as adjuvant therapy if an underlying invasive breast cancer is found, uses drugs to kill the cancer cells. The side effects of chemotherapy include stomach upset, vomiting, appetite loss (anorexia), hair loss (alopecia), mouth or vaginal sores, fatigue, menstrual cycle changes, premature menopause, and low white blood cell counts with an increased risk of infection.

Prognosis

As with other breast cancers, the prognosis of Paget's disease depends on the extent of the cancer and whether it has spread to the lymph nodes and other organs.

PAGET'S DISEASE ALONE.

The survival rate of women with Paget's disease of the breast alone is 99.5%.

PAGET'S DISEASE WITH INVASIVE BREAST CANCER.

The prognosis for Paget's disease and invasive cancer is based on the stage of the underlying breast cancer. Staging for breast cancer is as follows:

• Stage 1—The cancer is no larger than 2 cm (0.8 in) and no cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes.
• Stage 2—The cancer is between 2 cm and 5 cm, and the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
• Stage 3A—Tumor is larger than 5 cm (2 in) or is smaller than 5 cm, but has spread to the lymph nodes, which have grown into each other.
• Stage 3B—Cancer has spread to tissues near the breast, (local invasion), or to lymph nodes inside the chest wall, along the breastbone.
• Stage 4—Cancer has spread to skin and lymph nodes beyond the axilla (regional lymph nodes) or to other organs of the body.

The prognosis depends on the type and stage of cancer. Over 80% of stage I patients are cured by current therapies. Stage II patients survive overall about 70% of the time, those with more extensive lymph nodal involvement doing worse than those with disease confined to the breast. About 40% of stage III patients survive five years, and about 20% of stage IV patients do so.

Alternative and complementary therapies

Although alternative and complementary therapies are used by many cancer patients, very few controlled studies on the effectiveness of such therapies exist. Mind-body techniques such as biofeedback, visualization, meditation, and yoga, have not shown any effect in reducing cancer but they can reduce stress and lessen some of the side effects of cancer treatments.

A few studies found an association between longer survival time and a diet high in beta-carotene and fruits. Acupuncture has been found to relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and reduce pain. In some studies, mistletoe has been shown to reduce tumor size, extend survival time, and enhance immune function. Other studies have failed to show a response to mistletoe treatment.

For more comprehensive information, the patient should consult the book on complementary and alternative medicine published by the American Cancer Society listed in the Resources section.