N
The Global Insight

Can you die from Pagets disease of the breast

Author

Ava Hudson

Updated on April 01, 2026

Stage of cancerFive-year survival rate percentage (%)Stage IV14.3%

Is Paget's disease fatal?

Stage of cancerFive-year survival rate percentage (%)Stage IV14.3%

Is Paget disease of the breast curable?

Paget disease can be treated by removing the entire breast (mastectomy) or breast-conserving surgery (BCS) followed by whole-breast radiation therapy. If BCS is done, the entire nipple and areola area also needs to be removed. If invasive cancer is found, the lymph nodes under the arm will be checked for cancer.

How long can you live with Paget's disease?

The 5-year survival rate for a patient with Paget disease and sarcoma is 5-7.5%; however, it may be as high as 50% for those who undergo operative tumor ablation and chemotherapy before metastases occur. The 5-year survival rate for elderly patients with primary nonpagetic sarcoma is 37%.

How aggressive is Paget's disease of the breast?

As a noninvasive form of cancer, Paget’s is not considered an aggressive or fast-moving disease, but it is often associated with another cancer in the same breast.

What are the long term effects of Paget's disease?

If Paget’s disease of bone affects the skull, there’s a significant risk that it could lead to permanent hearing loss and possibly total deafness. This can occur as a result of damage to the bones or nerves that connect the ears to the brain.

What triggers Paget's?

The cause of Paget’s disease of bone is unknown. Scientists suspect a combination of environmental and genetic factors contribute to the disease. Several genes appear to be linked to getting the disease.

Can Paget's disease spread?

Most women with Paget’s disease of the breast have an underlying malignancy, which may be completely contained within the milk ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ) or may have invaded the surrounding tissue, potentially spreading to the lymph nodes under the arms (axillary lymph nodes) and other regions of the body ( …

What is one of the most serious complications of Paget disease?

Bone cancer (osteogenic sarcoma). This is a rare but serious complication of Paget’s disease. Severe bone pain and swelling of tissue around the bone are the most common symptoms of bone cancer.

What are the stages of Paget disease?

Three phases of Paget disease have been described: lytic, mixed lytic and blastic, and sclerotic. In an individual patient, different skeletal lesions may progress at different rates. Thus, at any one time, multiple stages of the disease may be demonstrated in different skeletal regions.

Article first time published on

Does a mammogram show Paget's disease?

Paget’s disease of the breast is misdiagnosed due to the fact that it presents itself in a way that resembles eczema. Unless the physician is familiar with the disease, they do not know what to look for. It does not show up on a typical mammogram or ultrasound.

What are the first symptoms of Paget's disease of the breast?

  • Flaky or scaly skin on your nipple.
  • Crusty, oozing or hardened skin resembling eczema on the nipple, areola or both.
  • Itching.
  • Redness.
  • A tingling or burning sensation.
  • Straw-colored or bloody nipple discharge.
  • A flattened or turned-in (inverted) nipple.

Can Paget's disease symptoms come and go?

Paget’s disease causes the skin on and around the nipple to become red, sore, and flaky, or scaly. At first, these symptoms tend to come and go. Over time, symptoms of Paget’s disease usually worsen and may include: itching, tingling, and/or a burning sensation.

Does steroid cream help Paget's disease?

This disease may at first. look like eczema of the nipple Eczema should respond to simple treatment with corticosteroid creams. If a rash on the nipple does not disappear with such treatment, then Paget’s disease is suspected.

Does Paget's disease cause pain?

Symptoms of Paget’s disease of bone include bone pain, joint pain and problems caused by a nerve being squashed or damaged. But in many cases, there are no obvious symptoms and the condition is only found during tests carried out for another reason. 1 bone or several bones may be affected.

What is the most common age for females to be diagnosed with Paget's disease?

Paget’s disease of the nipple is more common in women, but like other forms of breast cancer, it can also affect men. The disease usually develops after age 50. According to the National Cancer Institute, the average age of diagnosis in women is 62, and in men, 69.

Can Paget's disease affect your teeth?

Paget’s disease is an uncommon disorder that leads to abnormal bone development. Your jawbones will be affected, and this can cause mild or severe dental health issues such as tooth loss, jaw fractures, and bite alignment. Furthermore, there are times when jawbone deformities might occur.

Who gets Paget's disease of the breast?

Paget disease of the breast occurs in both women and men, but most cases occur in women. Approximately 1 to 4 percent of all cases of breast cancer also involve Paget disease of the breast. The average age at diagnosis is 57 years, but the disease has been found in adolescents and in people in their late 80s (2, 3).

How common is Paget's disease of the breast?

How common is Paget’s disease of the breast? Paget’s disease makes up about 1-4% of breast cancers. It develops in both women and men, but happens more in women. It most commonly occurs in women over 50 years old.

How does Paget's disease cause heart failure?

Heart failure. Bone tissue contains many blood vessels. Paget’s disease causes increased blood flow to the bones, and sometimes it is difficult for the heart to keep up with the demand for increased blood flow. This can lead to heart failure.

Can a 20 year old get Paget's disease?

It is extremely uncommon in young women. The presenting age ranges from 24 to 84 years with a mean age at diagnosis being 55 years [6]. This is one of the few reports in the literature of a woman presenting at a young age with Paget’s disease of the breast, and this patient represents the third youngest such woman.

Can ultrasound detect Paget's disease of breast?

Ultrasound is used not only to confirm the mammography findings in a case of Paget’s disease, but also when the mammogram is negative. The findings on ultrasound include heterogeneous hypoechoic areas in breast parenchyma, presence of a discrete mass or dilated ducts.

Is Paget's disease always itchy?

Paget’s disease of the nipple always starts in the nipple and may extend to the areola. It appears as a red, scaly rash on the skin of the nipple and areola. The affected skin is often sore and inflamed, and it can be itchy or cause a burning sensation. The nipple can sometimes be ulcerated.

Is it eczema or Paget's disease?

Paget disease of the breast is often mistaken for eczema. Eczema is an itchy, red skin rash. It is not cancer. Although Paget disease and eczema can look alike, Paget disease most often affects only one nipple and doesn’t go away after using common eczema treatments.