Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)

Health and Fitness Center

January 4th, 2011

administrator

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a very aggressive form of cancer that can occur very quickly. Often confused with a maternal infection “mastitis.”

Inflammatory breast cancer is not one of the best known breast cancers. This has often spread to the lymph nodes at diagnosis, making it look like one of the lowest survival rate of breast cancer.

Often, breast cancer can be diagnosed by mammography. Inflammatory breast cancer is different. Cancer is established that thin sheets of paper instead of growing as a solid tumor, it is difficult to immediately detect if a doctor is aware of the symptoms of breast cancer. The diagnostic tool more

sensitive to the IPC is an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). MRI measures changes in the skin that are typical of the IPC.

The beginning of the IPC is extremely fast. Very often a misdiagnosis of mastitis led to the death of a patient, this cancer is very aggressive. That’s what we should be aware of the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer:

Breast redness
* Nipple retracted.
* The skin of the breast looks like an orange to the bone.
* Shooting or stabbing pains in the chest.
* Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit or above the collarbone (IPC block the lymph vessels in the chest).
* The chest is very warm – even hot – to touch.
* No fever. This is important because mastitis is a fever. If you have the above symptoms without fever, you should see a cancer specialist immediately.

IBC is currently one year 5 to 40% -50% survival rate. Note that survival rates are reported as successes, even if the patient dies immediately after 5-years. This is one of the lowest cancer survival rates.

The usual treatment of inflammatory breast cancer is chemotherapy. Sometimes combined with surgery and radiotherapy. Most, however, is to always be aware of your breasts, changes that occur and seek immediate medical attention for symptoms of IBC.

Health and Fitness Center