Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Please watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D_5tXybj-E

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare, advanced form of breast cancer that is usually not detected by mammograms or ultrasounds. Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for only about 2% of breast cancers. Unlike other forms of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer does not usually grow as a solid tumor. Instead, inflammatory breast cancer is characterized by breast cancer cells blocking the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. Inflammatory breast cancer may cause the breast to become red, swollen, and warm. www.cancercenter.com

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is not a new type of breast cancer, but it is very important to distinguish IBC from other types of breast cancer because there are major differences in its symptoms, prognosis, and treatment.

"Inflammatory" or "inflammation" refers to changes in the body's tissues that can be caused by injury, irritation, or infection. This reaction typically involves redness, warmth, and swelling in the involved parts of the body. These symptoms are caused by increased blood flow and the buildup of white blood cells.

Common signs and symptoms of IBC can include: www.cancer.org

• breast swelling, which is usually sudden with one breast much larger than the other
• itching
• a pink, red, or dark colored area, sometimes with a texture like the skin of an orange
• ridges and thickened areas of the skin
• breast feeling warm to the touch
• nipple retraction
• breast pain