The Mayo Clinic Diet Book, learn more

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Living With Cancer

Subscribe to our Living With Cancer e-newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics.

Sign up now

Doctors don't know what causes Paget's disease of the breast. The most widely accepted theory is that the disease results from an underlying ductal breast cancer. The cancer cells from the original tumor then travel through milk ducts to the nipple and its surrounding skin. Another theory is that the disease can develop independently in the nipple.

Risk factors Symptoms

  • See Also

    • Hand Scheduled
    Section Focus
    Related Links
    Related Guides
    Children
    Parent
  • Breast cancer
References
  1. AskMayoExpert. How is Paget disease of the breast treated? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
  2. AskMayoExpert. What are the clinical findings of Paget disease of the breast? Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
  3. AskMayoExpert. Paget disease of the breast: Key facts. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
  4. Paget disease of the breast. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/paget-breast. Accessed Feb. 11, 2013.
  5. Papadakis MA, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2013. 52nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2013. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=1. Accessed Feb. 10, 2013.
  6. Karakas C. Paget's disease of the breast. Journal of Carcinogenesis. 2011;10:31.
  7. Goldsmith LA, et al., eds. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=740. Accessed Feb. 10, 2013.
  8. Dominici LS, et al. Current surgical approach to Paget's disease. American Journal of Surgery. 2012;204:18.
  9. Breast cancer risk in American women fact sheet. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/probability-breast-cancer.  Accessed Feb. 10, 2013.
  10. What is breast cancer? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-what-is-breast-cancer. Accessed Feb. 10, 2013.
  11. How is breast cancer treated? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/overviewguide/breast-cancer-overview-treating-surgery. Accessed Feb. 11, 2013.
  12. Can breast cancer be prevented? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/overviewguide/breast-cancer-overview-prevention. Accessed Feb. 11, 2013.
  13. Coping with cancer in everyday life. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/emotionalsideeffects/copingwithcancerineverydaylife/index. Accessed Feb. 21, 2013.
  14. After a breast cancer diagnosis: Questions to ask your doctor. Cancercare. http://www.cancercare.org/publications/46-after_a_breast_cancer_diagnosis_questions_to_ask_your_doctor. Accessed Feb. 25, 2013.
  15. Breast cancer: Coping with your changing feelings. Cancercare. http://www.cancercare.org/publications/88-breast_cancer_coping_with_your_changing_feelings. Accessed Feb. 25, 2013.
DS00771 March 27, 2013

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger