Most women, when they talk about breast cancer, usually refer to the breast as a whole; however, breast cancer may be more specific, not only in type, but also in the area where cancer may develop. Usually, when a breast cancer diagnosis is diagnosed, it is in the main breast formation - that is; "Bubble itself." However, breast cancer also includes the less common “nipple cancer”, sometimes referred to as “Paget’s Disease” or “Pediatric Disease”.
Paget's disease is actually a rather rare type of cancer that occurs mainly in women (in rare cases it occurs in men). The disease only affects the skin of the nipple and areola (the circle of darker skin around the nipple) with malignant cells that can be found in the epidermis (surface layer of the skin) of the areola and the nipple itself. These malignant cells can be found on their own or formed by small groups in the epidermis.
About 50% of women suffering from Paget's disease are also diagnosed with a mammary gland tumor (sometimes more than one) mainly in the same breast that held the affected nipple (flowing carcinoma in situ or invasive breast cancer [stages I - III]). Typical symptoms may include: a red scaly nipple rash that can spread to the areola, which either itches or burns, an inverted nipple (lowered inside), and a nipple attack.
The rash may resemble eczema (chronic inflammatory skin condition [dry skin, red patches, with an itchy sensation]), or psoriasis (spots of raised skin [usually red in color] with thick silvery scales); however, eczema rarely affects the nipple, and other skin conditions usually affect both breasts. Paget's disease for this reason can often be first mistakenly diagnosed, as it is transferred to a less serious and more common benign (non-cancerous) skin condition.
The name “Paget” comes from a nineteenth-century British doctor, Sir James Paget, who in 1874 noted the relationship between changes in both nipples and breast cancer. His name can also be found associated with other types of cancer (not related to breast cancer), such as: Paget's disease of the bones and Paget's disease outside the breast (from the vulva, and the penis).
