Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that blocks lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. Symptoms include breast redness, swelling, pain, and a warm feeling. Diagnosis involves ultrasound, mammogram, or biopsy. Treatment involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biopsy, hormone therapy, and mastectomy.
Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive form of cancer in which cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. Inflammatory breast cancer is rare and if often diagnosed in women who are on average younger than those typically diagnosed with non-inflammatory breast cancer. Symptoms typically develop rapidly and vary from patient to patient. The most common symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include breast redness, swelling, burning, pain, and a warm feeling in the breast.
This type of cancer develops when an abnormal cell in the breast ducts mutates to grow and divide rapidly. The rapidly growing abnormal cells block the lymph vessels in the skin. This blockage causes red, swollen skin on the breasts, which are symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer.
Many people associate a distinct lump in the breast with a symptom of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is different, because patients typically don’t have a lump in their breast. This rare form of aggressive cancer often causes the breasts to swell and appear larger. Other symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer could include the nipple appearing inverted. Some patients notice that the skin on the breast appears pitted and wrinkled, just like the peel of an orange.
Inflammatory breast cancer can be diagnosed in several ways. A breast ultrasound, mammogram, or biopsy might be done to diagnose the presence of inflammatory breast cancer. After the cancer has been diagnosed, the stage of the cancer will be determined and a treatment plan will be made available to the patient.
There are two stages of inflammatory breast cancer: stage IIIB and stage IV. Stage IIIB is considered locally advanced cancer. In stage IIIB, the cancer has spread to the connective tissue of the breast and nearby lymph nodes. In stage IV, the cancer has spread to other areas of the patient’s body.
Treatment for inflammatory breast cancer usually involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biopsy, and hormone therapy. Breast removal is often necessary with patients who have inflammatory breast cancer. This type of surgery is called a mastectomy. Hormone therapy is given during the last stages of treatment to help prevent the cancer from coming back.
Breast infection and inflammation show many of the same symptoms as inflammatory breast cancer. A person experiencing any of the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer should see a doctor right away. Patients who have been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer should start treatment as soon as possible due to its rapid growth.
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