Inflammatory breast
cancer (IBC) is a rare but aggressive type of breast cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic it accounts for only 1 percent to 6 percent of all breast cancer cases in the U.S. Inflammatory breast cancer has moved beyond the breast and may be in nearby lymph nodes. IBC doesn't often exhibit the common symptoms of other forms of breast cancer such as a lump felt during an exam. And since IBC may not be evident on a mammogram, other testing methods are used to diagnose this disease.
Causes & Risk Factors
The precise cause of inflammatory breast cancer is not known. IBC develops when abnormal cells swiftly permeate and block the lymphatic vessels in the skin over your breast. This blockage causes red, swollen and dimpled skin.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the average age that inflammatory breast cancer strikes a woman is 59. Men also can develop IBC, but usually at an older age.
Symptoms
The symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer often include a relatively sudden change in the appearance of one breast, often in a matter of days or weeks. One breast may appear thick or clearly larger than the other breast. You may notice a reddish or bruised appearance to the skin of the affected breast as well as dimpling or ridges on the skin like an orange peel. The nipple may be discolored, flattened or turned inward.
Testing for IBC
Your doctor will take your medical history and conduct a physical examination. Testing for IBC will most likely entail an excisional biopsy. That's when a small sample of skin and some of the underlying tissue is removed to be studied under a microscope for signs of malignancy.
An excisional biopsy that includes the skin is advantageous because a definable trait of inflammatory breast cancer is the discovery of snugly packed clumps of cancer cells in the lymphatic vessels of the skin.
Staging Tests
If a biopsy indicates you have inflammatory breast cancer, the stage or extent of the malignancy must be determined. Your doctor may perform tests including a CT scan (Computerized Axial Tomography, CAT scan) of your chest and abdomen, chest X-ray, and bone scan, to determine whether cancer cells have spread (metastasized) to other parts of your body.
The University of Maryland Medical Center says inflammatory breast cancer is most often classified as stage III cancer. If it has spread to the lymphatic system or other organs of the body, it is defined as a stage IV, or advanced, breast cancer.
Treatment & Prognosis
The standard treatment for inflammatory breast cancer includes chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation therapy.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) says the 5-year survival rate for patients with IBC is between 25 and 50 percent.
The NIH reminds patients that statistics cannot be used to predict the outcome of an individual case because each person's situation is different.
Tags: breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, inflammatory breast, According Mayo, According Mayo Clinic
