Contents:
- Medical Video: Freshly extracted cysts from the cancer infected breast!
- What is pagetone on the nipple?
- Causes and people at risk for this disease
- Common symptoms of paget in the breast
- How can this disease be diagnosed?
- What are the treatments for people with this disease?
- Complications from treatment for paget on breast nipples
- How to prevent pagetosis in the nipple so that it does not occur?
Medical Video: Freshly extracted cysts from the cancer infected breast!
Pagetosis of the nipples is a very rare type of cancer. Even though it is as dangerous as other cancers, this disease is different from breast cancer which may be more widely known. So that you are more familiar with this disease, see the following review.
What is pagetone on the nipple?
Pagetosis or paget’s diseasethe nipple is a cancer that attacks the skin around the nipples and areola (a dark colored area around the nipple).
This disease is different from breast cancer and paget disease which usually attacks the bones. About 1 to 4 percent of women who have breast cancer also have this disease.
Causes and people at risk for this disease
Paget's disease in the breast is not known with certainty. However, there are several theories that explain the cause.
First, that tumor cells that are on the surface of the nipple skin and areola may move from the milk ducts. Second, cancer cells can develop directly on the nipple and areola.
This nipple cancer can happen to anyone. However, it is more likely to occur and the risk is greater in people with the following conditions:
- More than 50 years old, the risk of cancer will increase with age
- Have family members with a history of this disease
- Have had breast cancer before
- Has a benign tumor in the breast
- Having excessive weight after menopause
- Have a habit of drinking alcohol
- Has tissue in dense breasts
- Use hormone therapy
Common symptoms of paget in the breast
Symptoms of paget in the breast vary, including:
- A lump appears around the nipple or areola
- Lumps look reddish
- A bumpy skin hardens if touched and peeled off
In these symptoms, generally you will think that it is eczema, dermatitis, or other skin problems that attack the breast. However, the condition will not heal only with skin care medications. It is likely that the symptoms will get worse, such as:
- The skin on the nipple or areola thickens
- Yellow discharge or blood from the nipple
- The breasts become sensitive and painful
If this condition occurs, you should immediately check with your doctor before the condition gets worse and more difficult to treat.
How can this disease be diagnosed?
Diagnosis begins with a physical examination. The doctor will check for lumps and thickening of the skin around the nipple. Maybe you also have to take several breast screening tests.
Furthermore, if there is a possibility of cancer, you will be recommended to do a biopsy. A biopsy is the act of taking a small portion of tissue from a lump and examining the tissue to have cancer cells or not.
From this biopsy, a cancer diagnosis will be obtained. Biopsies can also provide other important details, such as:
- How likely is that cancer cells will grow and spread
- Are cancer cells benign or malignant
- Are you positive for the advantages of the HER2 gene that triggers the growth of cancer cells
What are the treatments for people with this disease?
The main treatment for treating breast cancer is surgery. However, this depends on how severe the cancer has spread. The surgery can remove the entire breast (mastectomy) or only the nipple area and areola that are affected (central excision).
If a mastectomy is performed, a reconstructive surgery will be possible (re-forming the breast). Furthermore, you also need to do further treatment if cancer cells are malignant, such as:
- Chemotherapy: drug therapy to destroy cancer cells
- Radiotherapy: radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells
- Hormone therapy: therapy to prevent cancer cells from growing back on the same body part or moving to other parts of the body
Complications from treatment for paget on breast nipples
Potential complications can occur if treatment is delayed, do not get the right treatment or misdiagnosis. So, it would be better if these conditions get immediate treatment, cancer is more easily treated at an early stage.
However, treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation, may cause side effects such as skin irritation, fatigue, or pain. In the long term, this treatment is likely to increase other diseases, such as:
- lymphedema (swollen lymph nodes) due to the disappearance of lymph nodes
- Increases the risk of other cancers due to chemotherapy and radiation therapy
- Menopause or infertility due to disruption of hormones from hormone therapy
How to prevent pagetosis in the nipple so that it does not occur?
To prevent paget on the nipples, you should exercise regularly and reduce the habit of drinking alcohol. Perform routine health checks, such as breast cancer screening to detect the presence of cancer earlier.
For those of you who are at high risk of this disease, discuss with your doctor about prevention methods to reduce the risk of getting the disease. Your doctor may prescribe estrogen blockers, such as tamoxifen or raloxifene.
