Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Symptoms And Treatment

A type of breast cancer that is rare and gets its name from the appearance of the skin on the breast is "inflammatory breast cancer."

Diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer is usually diagnosed at a younger age than those diagnosed with other forms of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is diagnosed in men only in very rare circumstances.


In the past, women diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer had grim survival statistics; however, new approaches in treatment offer greater chances for survival than ever before.

Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include:

•A breast that appears red, purple, pink or bruised
•A tender, firm and enlarged breast
•A warm feeling in the breast
•Itching of the breast
•Pain
•Ridged or dimpled skin texture, similar to an orange peel
•Thickened areas of skin
•Enlarged lymph nodes under the arm, above the collarbone or below the collarbone
•Flattening or retraction of the nipple
•Swollen or crusted skin on the nipple
•Change in color of the skin around the nipple

These same symptoms can also indicate a breast infection called "mastitis." Mastitis occurs most often in younger women who are breast-feeding. Mastitis causes a fever and is easily treated with antibiotics. Inflammatory breast cancer does not typically cause a fever, nor does it respond to antibiotics.

Another condition in which there can be redness, warmth and swelling of the breast is caused by a previous operation or radiation therapy that involved the outer breast or underarm. These cases are not inflammatory breast cancer either.
Inflammatory breast cancer progresses rapidly. If you notice any of the above symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer, mention them right away to your physician.

If you receive treatment for a breast infection (mastitis) and your symptoms last longer than a week after starting antibiotics, ask your physician to do imaging studies of the breast or to perform a breast biopsy. If the test shows no signs of cancer and your symptoms seem to worsen, talk to your physician about getting another biopsy or ask for a referral to a breast specialist.

Treatment for inflammatory breast cancer:

Inflammatory breast cancer was treated by surgery. The mortality rate was at 100 percent. Significant progress has been made in recent years, which has improved the prognosis for a woman with inflammatory breast cancer. Once almost always fatal, the disease now results in half of women diagnosed being alive in five years and one-third of women diagnosed surviving 10 or more years.

Reconstruction after surgery is possible, but not for all women. If you undergo extensive radiation therapy your options for reconstruction are limited.

Source: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

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