Inflammatory breast cancer or IBC can be diffuse throughout the breast with no palpable mass as rather than as a solid, confined tumor; it usually grows in sheets or nests. The lymphatic system is clogged by the cancer cells just below the skin. Lymph node involvement is assumed. Compared to prior mammograms increased breast density should be thought doubtful.

IBC Symptoms:

Even while visiting their doctors to discover the cause of her symptoms, some of the women with inflammatory breast cancer may remain undiagnosed for long periods. As symptoms look like mastitis (a breast infection), some doctors get mistaken and prescribe antibiotics. A referral to a breast specialist should be warranted or a biopsy should be performed if no improvement is seen after a week of the antibiotic usage.

Surprisingly, a group of young women with IBC had their first symptoms during lactation or pregnancy. Metastases can be the result when the diagnosis is made due to the fact that IBC is the most aggressive form of breast cancer and the misconception that these young women are at lower risk for breast cancer.

Following are typical symptoms of IBC:

• From a constant ache to stabbing breast pains

• Bruise-like that does not go away

• Warm breast to the touch

• Itching

• Change in texture and color of the areola (area around the nipple)

• Thickened and ridges areas of the skin

• Sometimes a cup size sudden swelling i.e. in a few days

• Nipple retraction

• Red, dark, or pink area (known as erythema) sometimes with texture similar to the skin of an orange (known as peau d’orange)

• Nipple discharge, may or may not be bloody

If you are having these symptoms, visit your doctor as these may be present in benign breast disorder.

Important Note: Inflammatory breast cancer is usually abbreviated as IBC. In the diagnosis of non-inflammatory breast cancer the terms “invasive breast cancer”, “in situ breast cancer” and “infiltrating breast cancer” can be used, all of which may be abbreviated as “ibc.” The diagnosis that may include more than one type of breast cancer e.g. “mucinous carcinoma”, “invasive ductal carcinoma”, and “inflammatory breast cancer” in the same breast adds more confusion. It may be therefore well to ask what is abbreviating in case if someone you know has been described as having ibc or IBC.

IBC Treatment Options:

• Although the most common sequence of the treatment protocol is;

• chemotherapy
• surgery
• more chemotherapy
• radiation

IBC treatment options vary from institution to institution and doctor to doctor and can be based on the progression or stage of your cancer at the diagnosis time, your individual medical history, and on geography.

• If you have not yet begun a treatment protocol, investigating the current IBC clinical trial for inflammatory breast cancer patients with no prior treatment should be opted.

• For newly diagnosed cases of inflammatory breast cancer, the use of Taxotere and Adriamycin as first line chemotherapy is presented by the information from San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium held in December, 2001.