Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare type of breast cancer that develops very quickly. Cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels of the breast, which results in the red swollen appearance. It moves aggressively into the surrounding tissues and is consider an invasive type of breast cancer. There is no known cause of inflammatory breast cancer, but it begins with a single abnormal cell that divides quite rapidly. It most commonly is seen among women and is more common among older or black women, but can affect anyone.
Inflammatory breast cancer may look and feel very much like mastitis. The breast becomes red, swollen, warm to the touch and may be tender or painful. With inflammatory breast cancer you may also notice dimpling of the skin (appearance of an orange peel), enlarged lymph nodes, or an inversion of the nipple. Mastitis often produces a low grade fever and usually occurs in women who are breast feeding while inflammatory breast cancer usually does not. Breast feeding has been proven to reduce your risk for cancer, and that risk is significantly lower while you are nursing. Many people with inflammatory breast cancer describe their first symptom as a small red area similar to a bug bite on one of their breasts, and this area quickly spreads across the breast in a matter of days or weeks. If you notice any changes in the appearance of your breast you should seek immediate medical attention to rule out the possibility of inflammatory breast cancer.
No one treatment is effective in treating inflammatory breast cancer. Typically, treatment begins with chemotherapy, followed by surgery, then radiation treatment. This may be followed by more chemotherapy as well as hormone treatments. The prognosis is a 50 percent chance at a five-year survival rate. The earlier you receive treatment, however, the more your survival rate will increase. The five year rate is often due to the fact that inflammatory breast cancer is not recognized and treated as promptly as it should be. In some cases, the cancer can spread throughout the breast in as little as a few hours. For this reason, any sudden and unusual symptoms require immediate attention. If you suspect you may have inflammatory breast cancer you should contact your physician right away.