Paget’s disease in the era of sentinel lymph node biopsy

Paget's disease of the breast: diagnosis and management

Paget's disease of the breast typically affects postmenopausal women and is associated with an underlying malignancy. Skin changes are a common presenting symptom, as well as a lump, nipple discharge, pain and changes to the nipple shape. Imaging options include ultrasound for women under the age of 35 years or mammogram and ultrasound for women over the age of 40 years. The definitive diagnostic investigation is a tissue core biopsy. Cases are discussed by a multidisciplinary team to decide on the optimal management strategy. Management options are typically surgical and include breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy in addition to oncoplastic techniques. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed in all patients undergoing surgery. Adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy or endocrine therapy can be used to treat concomitant invasive disease or ductal carcinoma in situ.

Treatment of Mammary Paget Disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world data

BACKGROUND

Because the lesions of mammary Paget disease (MPD) are often limited to the nipple-areolar complex, the extension of optimal tumor excision is inconclusive. Moreover, the risk of potential tumor upstaging is unknown; therefore, the application of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is required for analysis. We systematically reviewed the real-world data to evaluate the optimal treatment and potential predictors of poorer prognosis for MPD.

METHODS

The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies. Clinical studies were included if they evaluated the outcome of positive rates of SLNB, prognostic risk factors of MPD, and survival outcomes of treatments of interest for MPD, including mastectomy, breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with radiotherapy, and BCS alone.

RESULTS

A total of 38 studies with 24,062 patients were retrieved. Compared with BCS alone (21.2%), mastectomy (5.9%; P < 0.001) and BCS with radiotherapy (8; P = 0.001) had significantly lower local recurrence rates. Patients with palpable tumors (30.2%) had significantly worse prognoses than those with impalpable (3.4%) tumors in metastasis (P < 0.001), and significantly higher local recurrence rates were observed in patients with underlying invasive carcinoma (6.7%) than those with noninvasive carcinoma (4.5%; P = 0.032). The positive rate of SLNB was 17% (95% CI: 0.115-0.226).

CONCLUSION

Except for MPD alone, BCS alone is not recommended for treating MPD with invasive ductal carcinoma and MPD with ductal carcinoma in situ. Moreover, a palpable mass, underlying invasive carcinoma, and positive lymph node status may lead to a poorer prognosis, which may be taken into consideration for the application of SLNB.

OUP accepted manuscript

Mammary Paget’s disease is a rare form of breast cancer present in ~0.5–2.8% of breast cancers. The patients have a poorer prognosis, and usually, the appropriate therapy is based on the pathologic findings of the mass and axillary staging. This report adds the outcomes of Paget’s disease following neoadjuvant chemotherapy to the literature by description of a case of a 48-year-old patient with Paget’s disease who had a complete pathological response to Paget’s disease of the breast following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Comparative study of breast cancer with or without concomitant Paget disease: An analysis of the SEER database

BACKGROUND

Most mammary Paget disease (MPD) is associated with underlying in situ or invasive breast cancer. The objective of this study was to compare the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes between breast cancer with Paget disease (PD) and breast cancer alone.

METHODS

From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, 2000-2015, of the US National Cancer Institute, we identified 1569 women who had PD with invasive ductal carcinoma (PD-IDC) and 1489 women who had PD with ductal carcinoma in situ (PD-DCIS). Independent demographic and clinicopathological variables as well as survival outcomes of these patients were compared to patients with the corresponding breast cancer without concomitant PD.

RESULTS

PD-IDC and PD-DCIS both had worse survival outcomes and poorer tumor characteristics than the corresponding disease without PD. Contrary to in the breast cancer alone groups, in the breast cancer with PD groups, the HR status (P = 0.182 in PD-IDC and P = 0.371 in PD-DCIS), HER2 status (P = 0.788 in PD-IDC and P = 0.643 in PD-DCIS), and combined molecular subtype (P = 0.196 in PD-IDC and P = 0.853 in PD-DCIS) were not found to affect disease prognosis. After matching tumor characteristics and treatment approaches, PD-IDC as well as PD-DCIS exhibited no significant difference in disease prognosis with corresponding IDC and DCIS. Finally, by comparative analysis, a kind of PD-DCIS (ICD-O-3 code 8543/3) showed many invasive behaviors (31.8% of 8543/3 patients had stage I-III cancer) and was associated with worse survival outcomes than the other type of PD-DCIS.

CONCLUSIONS

Breast cancer with concomitant PD was associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics and worse survival outcomes. The HR status, HER2 status, and combined molecular subtype could not affect the prognosis of breast cancer with PD. Moreover, a portion of the PD-DCIS cases were invasive breast cancer cases that required special treatment.

Incidental discovery of follicular lymphoma by sentinel lymph node biopsy and skin-sparing mastectomy for Paget's disease associated with invasive breast cancer

In breast cancer surgery, establishing a diagnosis other than lymph node metastasis of breast cancer, when performing a sentinel node biopsy in individuals with breast cancer, is rare. Here, we report a case of incidental discovery of follicular lymphoma by sentinel lymph node biopsy for Paget's disease associated with invasive breast cancer. A 60-year-old female initially presented with erosion on her left nipple and was clinically diagnosed with stage IA human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer and Paget's disease. Accordingly, skin-sparing mastectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and immediate breast reconstruction were performed. Although an intraoperative pathological examination of frozen sections of lymph nodes presented no evidence of metastasis, it revealed large follicles. Based on immunohistochemistry of the additional lymph nodes, she was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. Therefore, we initiated chemotherapy for follicular lymphoma followed by trastuzumab. At present, 6 years after the operation for breast cancer, the patient is doing well.

Surgical treatment in Paget's disease with invasive ductal carcinoma: an observational study based on SEER

The aim is to analyse the clinical presentation, treatment and outcomes in patients with Paget’s disease with invasive ductal carcinoma (PD-IDC), with special emphasis on the role of surgical treatment. Using data obtained by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program from 2010–2013, we investigated the differences in characteristics, overall survival (OS), and breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM) between patients with PD-IDC and those with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Compared with IDC group, patients with PD-IDC had a better prognosis and lower mortality in adjusted analyses. In the multivariate analysis of cases with PD-IDC, history of ALND was significantly associated with OS while Her2 status were associated with BCSM. Further, subgroup analysis demonstrated no difference between surgical treatment subgroups for either OS or BCSM. The results demonstrated that PD-IDC appears to alter the association between prognosis and Her2 status. Meanwhile, breast-conserving surgery with radiotherapy may be a feasible treatment alternative and sentinel lymph node biopsy should be considered as an appropriate treatment for patients with PD-IDC.

Paget's disease of the male breast: a case report

The patient was a 91-year-old man with change in nipple appearance, itching and redness, and a palpable breast mass. At presentation, mammary Paget’s disease (PD) was clinically suspected. Skin biopsy was performed and showed epidermis invaded by Paget cells, characterized by hyperchromatic nuclei and abundant pale-staining cytoplasm. Computed tomography and mammary ultrasonography confirmed the absence of an underlying invasive carcinoma, and the patient underwent right mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Both sentinel lymph nodes were found to be negative perioperatively, and further axillary dissection was not performed. Pathological results revealed no malignancy under the nipple, yet the Paget cells were more widely spread than expected. The patient was followed up without the need of postoperative chemotherapy. Male mammary PD is an extremely rare breast cancer, and there is no standard preoperative assessment or operative procedure. Mammography is many times unable to detect possible underlying breast carcinoma in female patients with mammary PD, and previous studies have reported that the detection rate was less than 50 %. However, some researchers reported that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might be more detectable to confirm the extent of the cancer. The extent of the skin change around the nipple is often different from the actual perimeter of Paget cells. In extra-mammary PD, mapping biopsy is known to be useful to determine areas free of cancer. The benefits of SLNB have also been demonstrated for the management of less invasive breast cancers, and previous reports have shown that the use of SLNB is reasonable for treatment of mammary PD without underlying invasive cancer. MRI, mapping biopsy, and SLNB are all less invasive procedures and thus may be suitable for treatment of male mammary PD.

Modern Trends in the Surgical Management of Paget's Disease

PURPOSE

We examined the incidence and modern national trends in the management of Paget's disease (PD), including the use of breast-conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy, axillary surgery, and receipt of radiotherapy.

METHODS

Using surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) data, we identified 2631 patients diagnosed with PD during 2000-2011. Of these patients, 185 (7%) had PD of the nipple only, 953 (36.2%) had PD with ductal carcinoma in situ (PD-DCIS), and 1493 (56.7%) had PD with invasive ductal carcinoma (PD-IDC). Trends in age-adjusted incidence, primary surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), and axillary lymph node dissection were examined. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate factors associated with receipt of BCS and radiotherapy.

RESULTS

A decrease in the age-adjusted incidence of PD occurred from 2000 to 2011 (-4.3% per year, p < 0.05). The overall rates of mastectomy in the PD only, PD-DCIS, and PD-IDC groups were 47, 69, and 88.9%, respectively. Only in the PD-IDC group did the proportion of patients undergoing BCS increase significantly, from 8.5% in 2000 to 15.7% in 2011 (p = 0.01). Of those who underwent axillary surgery, the proportion of patients undergoing SLNB increased from 2000 to 2011. In adjusted analyses, Paget's subgroup, older age, central tumor location, low/intermediate grade, tumor size <2.0 cm, SEER region, and year of diagnosis after 2006 were significantly associated with receipt of BCS.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of Paget's disease has decreased over time while modern trends in local therapy suggest that BCS, SLNB, and adjuvant radiotherapy remain underutilized.

Breast-conserving surgery in patients with Paget's disease

Background

Paget's disease of the breast is a rare condition that is associated with underlying breast cancer in the majority of patients. The conventional treatment for Paget's disease has been mastectomy, but there is an increasing trend to consider breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in selected patients. Owing to the uncommon nature of the disease, research studies tend to be small and retrospective. This systematic review presents the published evidence regarding BCS for patients with Paget's disease with a focus on patient selection and oncological safety.

Methods

A search of Ovid and PubMed databases was conducted to identify all papers published regarding BCS for Paget's disease.

Results

The search identified 172 papers of which 43 were clinically relevant. BCS is a safe alternative to mastectomy, provided a clear surgical margin is achieved and adjuvant radiotherapy used. However, patients with Paget's disease should be assumed to have underlying breast cancer, and these cancers tend to have poor biological profiles. When BCS is considered, careful preoperative investigation should be undertaken to identify the presence and extent of an underlying cancer. These cancers can be mammographically occult, multifocal or multicentric. Although the evidence is limited, there may be a role for MRI in selecting patients with Paget's disease for BCS.

Conclusion

Patients with Paget's disease are candidates for breast conservation with appropriate preoperative investigations. Oncological outcomes are equivalent to those of mastectomy if surgical margins are achieved and adjuvant radiotherapy is given.

Current surgical approach to Paget's disease

BACKGROUND

Paget's disease constitutes between 1% and 3% of all breast malignancies, which makes defining standard surgical therapy difficult. We sought to identify preoperative factors that would select patients for successful breast conservation.

METHODS

Fifty-one patients with Paget's disease underwent surgical therapy between October 1998 and January 2010. Clinical presentation of Paget's disease, preoperative imaging, pathologic tumor characteristics, as well as surgical, radiation, and adjuvant therapies were reviewed.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven percent underwent breast conservation whereas 63% underwent mastectomy. Twelve patients presented with a palpable mass, and all were treated with mastectomy. Twenty-two patients underwent a mammogram, identifying extensive abnormality requiring mastectomy. Magnetic resonance imaging added to surgical planning in 52% of patients who participated in the study. None of our patients had a local/regional recurrence at 29 months of follow-up evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

Paget's disease of the breast can be treated with breast conservation in a properly selected subset of patients. Successful breast conservation was achieved in patients without a palpable finding, a benign mammogram, and a normal magnetic resonance imaging scan.

[Paget's disease of the nipple and differential diagnosis]

Clinical evaluation of the nipple-areolar complex is a routine component of the breast screening examination. All persistent unilateral nipple lesion should be viewed with suspicion and Paget's disease of the nipple should be considered. The diagnosis is established by nipple scrape cytology. It is a rare variant of ductal carcinoma in situ. The breast imaging work-up should include a search for an underlying malignancy, present in over 80% of cases, not infrequently multifocal. Preoperative MRI is useful if breast conservative surgery is contemplated because of the high rate of occult malignancy on mammograms and ultrasound. Erosive adenomatosis of the nipple is a benign process that may simulate Paget's disease isolated to the nipple. Less frequently, pagetoid basal cell carcinoma, Bowen's disease and melanoma may be more difficult to differentiate clinically and share the unilateral and chronic features of Paget's disease. Biopsy is needed for diagnosis. Cutaneous extension of a breast cancer is rare but should be suspected in patients with retraction and/or fixed nipple. Eczema is characterized by the bilateral nature of the process, the absence of nipple deformity, the presence of flare-ups and the favorable response to local steroid therapy.

Paget's Disease of the Nipple

Paget's disease of the nipple is an unusual epidermal presentation of underlying breast cancer. It presents as eczematous change or erythematous ulceration, but may also be an incidental histological finding in a mastectomy specimen. Approximately half of the underlying cancers are invasive, the remainder being ductal carcinoma in situ, and only rarely is there no associated malignancy. Routine clinical and mammographic assessment may significantly underestimate the extent of disease, but MRI may increase the sensitivity in detecting occult malignancy. Mastectomy maximizes local control; however, selected cases can be treated by nipple conisation with radiotherapy. Sentinel node biopsy is the standard of care for axillary staging in the clinically and ultrasonically node-negative case. Almost all invasive cases overexpress human EGF receptor-2 and, therefore, are likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy and herceptin.

Paget's disease of the breast: the experience of the European Institute of Oncology and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Paget's disease of the breast is an uncommon presentation of breast malignancy, accounting for 1-3% of all the breast tumors and presents in different histopathologic patterns: in association with an underlying invasive or non invasive carcinoma, or without any underlying neoplasia. In the literature, different methods are used for the treatment. Mastectomy with or without axillary dissection has been considered as the standard treatment procedure for many years. Several studies have already shown that breast conservation with radiation therapy is an oncologically safe option. Regarding the axillary approach, several studies have documented the presence of positive sentinel lymph node even in Paget's disease alone. The objective of this study was to retrospectively analyze outcome of patients affected by Paget's breast disease and to define our institutional experience.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between May 1996 and February 2003, 114 patients with confirmed Paget's disease of the breast were retrieved and underwent surgery at the European Institute of Oncology of Milan, Italy. The median age of the patients was 54 years at the time of the diagnosis. In our study, the histopathological examination of the operated specimen revealed one hundred seven patients with Paget's disease associated with an underlying invasive or non invasive carcinoma, and seven patients without underlying carcinoma. Patients underwent either conservative breast surgery or mastectomy, with or without sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or axillary surgery. Each patient was evaluated after surgery at a multidisciplinary meeting to selecting systemic therapy.

RESULTS

Seven patients had "pure" Paget's disease of the breast and one hundred seven had the disease associated with an underlying carcinoma. As surgical techniques 71 mastectomies and 43 breast conserving surgeries have been performed. Complete axillary dissection was done in patients with clinically positive lymph node and/or sentinel lymph node biopsy positive. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in nineteen patients with invasive component and five were positive and underwent axillary dissection. Eleven sentinel lymph node biopsies were done in patients with non invasive component and none of them was positive. Adjuvant systemic therapies were based on the final tumor, node and metastasis stage: thirty patients received adjuvant chemotherapy alone, fourteen received endocrine treatment alone, twenty-six patients were evaluated to receive both chemo and endocrine therapy. The median duration of follow up was 73 months and was updated in the last 6 months. Five patients developed local recurrence, one had regional recurrence, another two had loco-regional recurrences and fourteen had distant metastasis as a first event. Malignancy-related deaths were censored in the statistical analyses cancer for and due to another tumor in eleven patients. Additionally, deaths were not related to malignancy totally in thirteen patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Screening examination and imaging techniques are fundamental. Breast conserving surgery combined with breast irradiation for patients with invasive and non invasive breast carcinoma has become the treatment of first choice. All surgical conservative approaches should include the complete nipple-areolar complex and margins of resected specimen free of tumor. Thanks to the evolution of the conservative approach, good cosmetic result can be obtained. To be informed about the axillary lymph node status and to avoid the patient to have a second surgical approach, sentinel lymph node biopsy should be performed.