by Walter Little

Created on: February 20, 2009   Last Updated: February 26, 2009

Inflammatory Breast Cancer What Is It? What is Inflammatory Breast Cancer? Truthfully, until I saw a piece on Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) on the news last week, I had never heard of it. Apparently I'm not alone because the report stated that many doctors have never seen a case of IBC because it is rare. According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation it is identified as "rare and the most aggressive form of breast cancer." Its name comes from the fact that the main symptom of the disease is swelling and redness (inflammation) of the affected breast. Also, unlike other forms of breast cancer, IBC does not have the characteristic lump or tumor. Instead cancerous cells grow in sheets which can spread throughout the breast. In addition because there is no defined lump IBC often goes undetected by standard tests such as a mammogram or ultrasound. Who is at risk? Statistics show that about one percent (1%) to five percent (5%) of breast cancer cases diagnosed in the United States are Inflammatory Breast Cancer. The average age at the time of diagnosis (for cases inside the United States) is younger for both Caucasian and African American women1. Statistics also show:

IBC is slightly more common in African American women. As many as ten percent (10%) of new breast cancer cases in African American women are IBC, compared with six percent (6%) of breast cancer cases involving Caucasian women and five percent (5%) for other races.

IBC is more common in younger women that other forms of breast cancer. In addition, it has been seen in women who are pregnant as well as women who are breast-feeding.

Like other forms of breast cancer, it has also been seen in men. What are the symptoms of IBC? As was noted earlier, the primary symptom of IBC is inflammation (redness), edema (swelling), and warmth in the affected breast. The inflammation and warmth are caused by cancer cells which are blocking the lymph vessels in the skin. In addition, patients with IBC might also notice that the affected breast appears to be pink, reddish purple or bruised. The skin of the breast may also have ridges or a pitted appearance similar to the skin of an orange (known as Peau d'orange) which is the result of a build-up of fluid and edema (swelling) in the breast. Additional symptoms include: heaviness of the affected breast, burning, aching, increase in breast size, tenderness or the nipple might become inverted (facing inward). It should be noted that these symptoms usually develop quickly over

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