According to the National Cancer Institute at cancer.gov, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) makes up 1 to 5 percent of breast cancers in the United States. It is a rare but very aggressive breast cancer often diagnosed in African-American women and younger women. IBC gets its name from its presentation---the breast often looks red and inflamed, or swollen.
Features
IBC occurs when the cancer cells block the lymph vessels in the skin on the breast. There does not necessarily have to be a lump for IBC to be present. Symptoms include swelling (often sudden), nipple retraction and/or discharge, breast pain, itching and a reddish, dark colored area on the breast, often with the texture of the peel of an orange. The breast may be warm to the touch. IBC is not always detected on mammography or ultrasound, but an increase in the density of breast tissue on mammography may be a possible warning sign.
Diagnosis
IBC is diagnosed from clinical examination by a doctor. Biopsy, mammogram and/or ultrasound are used to confirm the final diagnosis. Due to the nature of IBC, the cancer is staged as either Stage IIIB or Stage IV, depending on the findings. Stage IIIB IBC has local spread; Stage IV has spread to other organs or parts of the body.
Treatment
Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and hormonal therapy all can be used to treat IBC. Chemotherapy affects cell throughout the body and is called systemic treatment. Surgery and radiation are local treatments, only affecting the area of IBC.
Survival Rate
Because IBC is a very aggressive cancer, it is more likely to have metastasized to other parts of the body by the time it is diagnosed than breast cancer that is not IBC. The five-year survival rate for those with IBC is between 25 and 50 percent, according to cancer.gov.
Famous Ties
Molly Ivins (American journalist), and Irma Rangel (Texas state representative) both had IBC. Unfortunately, this type of breast cancer is not as highly publicized as other types, and public awareness has reflected this.
Considerations
One of the things that adds to the severity of IBC is that many of the symptoms associated with early stages of other breast cancer ---a lump that is palpable or able to be seen on mammography---do not occur. Symptoms of IBC can be mistaken for a breast infection, so it is important to speak with a doctor if the symptoms arise.
Tags: breast cancer, breast often, parts body, Stage IIIB, very aggressive
