Paget's disease of the nipple or Paget's disease of the breast is a rare condition that is linked to breast cancer. It generates eczema-like changes to the skin of the nipple and the area of darker skin encircling the nipple (areola). It is frequently indicative of breast cancer in the tissue behind the nipple, says a breast cancer surgeon in Kolkata.

 

breast cancer doctor

 

Treatment

It is treated by removing the cancerous portion of the breast, or occasionally the entire breast through a procedure known as a mastectomy.

Surgery

When a patient is diagnosed with Paget's disease of the nipple, surgery is frequently the first course of treatment.


There are two primary types of surgery:

Mastectomy

Mastectomy is when all of your breast tissue, even your nipple, is removed. You may require a mastectomy if:


• The tumour is large or in the middle of your breast 

• There's more than 1 area of breast cancer 

• Breast-conserving surgery will not provide satisfactory results


If lymph nodes (small glands) are extracted from your armpit during a mastectomy, scarring may impair the lymph nodes' filtering function, resulting in lymphoedema, says the breast cancer doctor in Kolkata.


Lymphoedema can develop months or occasionally years following surgery. Consult your doctor if you detect any swelling in your arm or hand on the sides of your procedure.

Breast-conserving surgery

Breast-conserving surgery aims to preserve as much of your breast as possible while extracting cancer and a small amount of healthy tissue.


If you have Paget's disease of the nipple, your nipple and areola will be removed. You should be offered reconstructive surgery to improve the appearance of your breast after surgery.


If you have breast-conserving surgery, the amount of breast tissue removed will depend on:


• The size of the tumour in proportion to the size of your breast

• Whether the tumour is in 1 spot or distributed across your breast


Your surgeon will remove some healthy breast tissue around the malignancy so it may be examined for evidence of cancer. If cancer cells are identified in the surrounding tissue, more tissue may need to be removed from your breast.


After having breast-conserving surgery, you'll likely need to receive radiotherapy to remove any leftover cancer cells, says the doctor of breast cancer surgery in Kolkata.