Is Paget’s breast cancer curable? Paget disease can be treated by removing the entire breast (mastectomy) or breast-conserving surgery (BCS) followed by whole-breast radiation therapy. If BCS is done, the entire nipple and areola area also needs to be removed. If invasive cancer is found, the lymph nodes under the arm will be checked for cancer.
What are the first symptoms of Paget’s disease of the breast?
Possible signs and symptoms of Paget’s disease of the breast include:
- Flaky or scaly skin on your nipple.
- Crusty, oozing or hardened skin resembling eczema on the nipple, areola or both.
- Itching.
- Redness.
- A tingling or burning sensation.
- Straw-colored or bloody nipple discharge.
- A flattened or turned-in (inverted) nipple.
What does Paget’s disease of the breast feel like? The symptoms of Paget disease of the breast are often mistaken for those of some benign skin conditions, such as dermatitis or eczema (1–3). These symptoms may include the following: Itching, tingling, or redness in the nipple and/or areola. Flaking, crusty, or thickened skin on or around the nipple.
Is Paget’s disease a form of cancer? Paget’s disease is a rare form of breast cancer which causes skin changes in the nipple area (bleeding, itching, flaking, and nipple discharge) and accounts for fewer than 3% of all breast cancers. Often, Paget’s is mistaken for eczema or an infection before the correct diagnosis is made.
Is Paget’s breast cancer curable? – Additional Questions
Is Paget breast cancer aggressive?
As a noninvasive form of cancer, Paget’s is not considered an aggressive or fast-moving disease, but it is often associated with another cancer in the same breast.
How serious is Paget’s disease of the breast?
Around half of all women diagnosed with Paget’s disease of the nipple have a lump behind the nipple. In 9 out of 10 cases this is an invasive breast cancer. Invasive cancer is where cancerous cells invade the surrounding breast tissue. Some women with Paget’s disease have invasive breast cancer but do not have a lump.
What is the life expectancy of someone with Paget’s disease?
If treatment occurs before major changes in bone occur, the majority of patients with Paget’s disease are able to live a normal, active life. When complications do develop, surgical treatment is usually effective in relieving pain and improving function.
What is the survival rate for Paget disease?
The five-year survival rate for early diagnosis is 95.8 percent.
Table. The five-year survival rate for Paget’s disease of the breast by stage.
| Stage of cancer |
Five-year survival rate percentage (%) |
| Stage II |
77.7% |
| Stage III |
46.3% |
How quickly does Paget’s disease progress?
Mammary Paget’s disease is associated with carcinoma of the underlying lactipherous ducts. The skin lesions progress slowly over months as scaly, fissured, or oozing erythema of the nipple and areola. Advanced lesions may appear as well-demarcated, eczema-like plaques with a pink or red hue.
Is Paget’s disease serious?
Paget’s disease of bone can sometimes lead to further, potentially serious problems. These include: fragile bones that break more easily than normal. enlarged or misshapen bones.
What triggers Paget’s?
The cause of Paget’s disease of bone is unknown. Scientists suspect a combination of environmental and genetic factors contribute to the disease. Several genes appear to be linked to getting the disease.
What are the three phases of Paget’s disease?
The key histopathological feature of Paget disease involveS the bone architecture and includes the three phases of the disease: mixed, osteolytic, and osteosclerotic. These phases may occur at the same time or separately.
Does Paget’s disease show up on a mammogram?
Paget’s disease of the breast is misdiagnosed due to the fact that it presents itself in a way that resembles eczema. Unless the physician is familiar with the disease, they do not know what to look for. It does not show up on a typical mammogram or ultrasound.
Do you need chemo for Paget’s disease?
Many people who have surgery for Paget’s disease of the breast have radiation therapy after the operation. Radiation delivers strong X-rays to the breast to destroy any remaining cancer cells. Some people with Paget’s disease of the breast receive chemotherapy.
How do you test for Pagets disease of the breast?
A skin biopsy is often used to confirm a diagnosis of Paget’s disease of the nipple. A small tissue sample will be taken from your nipple or the skin around it. The sample will be examined under a microscope and tested to see if it’s cancerous.
Is Paget’s disease benign or malignant?
Paget’s disease of the breast is a malignant (cancerous) condition that initially appears as chronic, inflammatory, “eczema-like” changes of the nipple and adjacent areas.
Who gets Paget’s disease of the breast?
Paget’s Disease of the Breast Causes
Doctors aren’t sure what causes it. Paget’s is rare, but most people who get it have tumors in the same breast. One theory is that cancer cells from the tumor travel through milk ducts and into your nipple and areola.
Is Paget’s disease curable?
There’s currently no cure for Paget’s disease of bone, but treatment can help relieve the symptoms. If you do not have any symptoms, your doctor may suggest keeping an eye on your condition and delaying treatment until any problems occur.
Is Paget’s disease an autoimmune disease?
Paget’s disease of bone is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that leads to an increase in bone reabsorption. While depression is extensively described in Paget’s disease, affecting up to 50% of patients, the prevalence of manic episodes is unknown.
What are the long term effects of Paget’s disease?
If Paget’s disease of bone affects the skull, there’s a significant risk that it could lead to permanent hearing loss and possibly total deafness. This can occur as a result of damage to the bones or nerves that connect the ears to the brain.
What is the first line treatment for Paget disease?
Treatment with bisphosphonates should be considered first-line therapy in patients with Paget disease.
