CANCER: The “Other” Breast Cancer
What You Need to Know About IBC
BY:MARC LICHTER
Although women are constantly advised to administer self-exams in search of lumps that could indicate the presence of breast cancer, there is a rare yet aggressive form of breast cancer that is unlikely to be discovered by such exams. Called Inflammatory Breast Cancer, it is highly deadly partly because of the difficulty in detecting it.
Rather than growing as a confined, solid tumor, IBC develops in “sheets” or “nests” that diffuse throughout the breast and into the lymphatic system. With the absence of a palpable mass, it’s harder to detect. It is difficult to find in a mammogram, although signs of increased breast density from mammogram to mammogram is a strong indicator. To discover whether it is cancer or merely a breast infection called mastitis, a biopsy should be performed. Also setting it apart from more common forms of breast cancer is that the median age for its onset is 52 versus 62 for other breast cancers.
Basic IBC indicators include:
Swollen breast
Breast pain
Retracted nipple
Itching of the breast
Discoloration of the breast skin (pink, red or darkened area) with skin texture similar to that of an orange
Discoloration of the aureole (area around nipple)
Breast feels warm to the touch
What appears to be a bruise that does not soon disappear
Should you notice these symptoms individually, and especially in combination, do not hesitate to seek medical help.
For more on IBC, go to:
www.mayoclinic.com/health/inflammatory-breast-cancer/DS00632
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/IBC
www.susanlovemd.com/faq/ibc/ibc_1.html
The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation also can be reached at (310) 230-1712.