[Breast Paget disease: morphologic substrate and Paget cells characteristics]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pathology

Context:

• Breast Paget disease is a distinct clinical manifestation of underlying breast malignancy.
• Analysis of 143 cases highlights the importance of identifying the specific underlying tumor type and nodal status.

Purpose:

• To analyze the clinicopathological features and immune histochemical characteristics of Paget disease of the breast.
• To evaluate prognostic factors and suggest optimal surgical management.

Summary:

• Paget disease of the breast most commonly arises from ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive ductal carcinoma.
• Prognosis is significantly better when Paget disease is associated with in situ lesions compared to invasive ones.
• Paget cells share immune histochemical markers with the underlying breast tumor cells.
• Patients with Paget disease tend to be older, with an average age 10 years higher than those without areola involvement.

Impact:

• Findings support the understanding of breast Paget disease as a manifestation of underlying breast cancer.
• The study suggests that mastectomy may be a more appropriate surgical approach than central segmentectomy for managing breast Paget disease.