Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory Breast Cancer or IBC as it is known is an uncommon but aggressive form of breast cancer that does not always present with a lump.
Symptoms can be:
· Inflammation of the breast tissue (swelling,change in size,heat) that does not respond to antibiotics
· Redness of the skin or a pitted like appearance not unlike the peel of an orange.
Other symptoms may include:
· Sudden appearance of a large lump
· Inverted nipple , flattened nipple or discharge from the nipple
IBC can also cause swollen lymph nodes under the arm and above the collar bone
IBC inhibits the lymph vessels in the breast from filtering properly due to blockages by the cancer cells themselves. Lymph nodes filter waste,bacteria and fluids from the breast tissue to be excreted from the body.
IBC is not often detected by a mammogram or ultrasound so a biopsy is the best way to detect a malignancy.
Treatment is very often started quickly due to the aggressive nature of the disease,therefore chemo is sometimes done first before surgery radiation or hormonal therapy.
