IBC - The New Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer is a relatively rare but very serious, aggressive type
of breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), 1% to 5% of breast cancer
cases in the United States are inflammatory breast cancer.























Inflammatory breast cancer is usually categorized as stage IIIB breast cancer because of the possible
involvement of the skin, chest wall, or lymph nodes along the breast bone inside the chest wall. If the
cancer has spread to other organs, such as the bones, lungs, liver, brain, or to the lymph nodes in the
neck, it is categorized as stage IV.
The symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer can include:

  • Redness of the breast. The most distinguishing feature of inflammatory breast
cancer is redness involving part of or the whole breast. Sometimes the redness comes and
goes.

  • Swelling of the breast. Part of or all of the breast may be swollen, enlarged, and hard.

  • Warmth. The breast may feel warm.

  • Orange-peel appearance. In some people, the breast can swell and start to look like the peel
    of a navel orange (this is called "peau d'orange").

  • Other skin changes. The skin of the breast might look pink or bruised, or you may have what
    looks like ridges, welts, or hives on your breast.

  • Swelling of lymph nodes. The lymph nodes under the arm or above the collarbone may be
    swollen.

  • Flattening or inversion of the nipple. The nipple may go flat or turn inward.

About 50% of women with inflammatory breast cancer have a lump or a mass in their breast, but it
may be difficult to feel since the breast is often bigger and harder than normal.
INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER IS HARD TO DIAGNOSE
Sometimes inflammatory breast cancer is
misdiagnosed as an infection. Because the
disease is rare, many doctors have never seen
it. Also, it has not been studied as much as
other types of breast cancer. An infection is a
more common cause of swelling and redness
of the breast—that's why doctors think of that
diagnosis first. But infection is more likely to
happen for a reason, such as breast feeding.
Infections go away with proper antibiotic
treatment, but inflammatory breast cancer does
not respond to antibiotics.

A diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer is
made primarily by physical examination,
although mammogram, breast MRI, or
ultrasound is sometimes used.
A diagnosis must be confirmed by a biopsy.
However, sometimes a biopsy of inflammatory
breast cancer may come back "clear," even as the
redness and swelling worsen. So making a
diagnosis is very tricky.

Treating inflammatory breast cancer involves
chemotherapy up front, followed by surgery and
radiation. Anti-estrogen and Herceptin (chemical
name: trastuzumab) therapy may also have a role.
Other forms of targeted therapy, such as Avastin
(chemical name: bevacizumab), may be used.

The kind and sequence of treatment depends on
your individual situation.