Inflammatory Breast Cancer

A rare type of breast cancer is called Inflammatory Breast Cancer

. It is a type of breast cancer that is inflamed or swollen and has a red appearance instead of a lump form. It is harder to detect because you can not feel it like a lump. It is an aggressive cancer although it is a rare form of breast cancer.

To detect inflammatory breast cancer, the signs to look for are: bruises around the breasts, redness, pain, texture and thickness change, nipple discharge, burning, and some aching. If these symptoms occur, contact your physician immediately.

To properly diagnose inflammatory breast cancer, one must go get an examination from a physician. Once the doctor determines there are signs for breast cancer, a mammogram, breast ultrasound, a biopsy, and/or a positron emission tomography (PET) scan will be performed to confirm the diagnosis. Once it is confirmed for inflammatory breast cancer, the treatments are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, and/or surgery.

Chemotherapy is typically the first treatment in fighting inflammatory breast cancer. This therapy will destroy all bad and good cells in the body. Because the chemotherapy kills are cells, one of the side effects is loss of hair.

The next step after chemotherapy could be surgery and/or radiation. Radiation might be recommended depending on the aggressiveness of the cancer. Surgery can be the removal of the breast and surrounding tissues. Radiation is a targeted therapy that focuses on the cancer area.

The reason why IBC is more aggressive is due to the fact it can spread faster to the rest of the body than other breast cancers. The survival rate, according to the National Cancer Institute, for IBC patients is between 25 to 50 percent. They stated the statistics is based on a large number of patients even though the numbers seem low and urge people to consult with their physician in regards to their specific condition.

The first step in early detection is performing monthly breast self exams. By performing the self exams, a woman will be familiar with her body in case any changes occur. If a woman sees any signs of concerns, she should immediately contact her physician.

by: Gina Andrews

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