Paget disease of the nipple
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Paget disease of the nipple is a type of breast cancer that originates in milk ducts under the nipple but first appears on the skin.
(See also Overview of Skin Cancer.)
The term Paget disease also refers to an unrelated metabolic bone disease (see Paget Disease of Bone). These distinct diseases should not be confused with each other.
This Paget disease occurs mainly on the nipple and results from a cancer of the breast milk ducts that has spread to the skin of the nipple. Both men and women are affected. The underlying cancer may or may not be felt by the person or the doctor.
Sometimes Paget disease of the nipple develops in areas other than the breast (called extramammary Paget disease). It can develop in the groin or genital area or around the anus as the result of a cancer originating in underlying sweat glands or even in nearby structures such as the bladder, anus, and rectum.
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