Summary Fourteen primary melanomas arising in the nipple and areola of the breast were treated by mastectomy and axillary dissection. Four patients had axillary lymph node metastases and all were dead within 3 years of their operation, while the 10 patients with no axillary node involvement were free from recurrent disease 5 years after their operation. On the basis of clinical and anatomical studies, it is suggested that a wide local excision without mastectomy is adequate for the treatment of nipple and areola melanomas.