Inflammatory Breast Cancer(IBC) is an advanced and accelerated form of breast cancer automatically staged as IIIB (within the range of Stage I to Stage IV) and even diagnosed at Stage IV if there are distant metastases (spreads). Usually it is not detected by mammograms or ultrasounds. It requires immediate aggressive treatment with chemotherapy prior to surgery and is treated differently than more common types of breast cancer.

IBC has an extremely high risk of recurrence and a very poor prognosis. It is the most lethal of the breast cancers. Recognition of the symptoms resulting in an early diagnosis and immediate onset of treatment improves the chances of survival. Chemotherapy is usually begun within days of diagnosis.

Symptoms include redness, swelling, retracted nipple, 'peau d'orange' (an area of breast skin resembling the skin of an orange), itching and pain. All of these symptoms may also occur with benign breast disorders, if you experience any of the above, please see a doctor immediately.

We have all been positively conditioned to the fact that when a woman discovers a lump on her breast she should go to the doctor immediately, BUT how many people know that:

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LUMP TO HAVE BREAST CANCER. 

Mammograms and Ultrasounds are not enough.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer usually grows in nests or sheets, rather than as a confined, solid tumor; and therefore, it can be diffuse throughout the breast with no palpable mass. The cancer cells clog the lymphatic system just below the skin. Lymph node involvement is assumed. Increased breast density compared to prior mammograms should be considered suspicious.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer is very often misdiagnosed as Mastitis - because of the similarities in symptoms. If a woman is presenting with these symptoms and the usual course of antibiotics does not show any improvement within 5 days, then she should be immediately referred to a Breast Specialist for a biopsy with the utmost urgency. I am currently fighting for a mandate to be written into every General Practitioner’s Surgery Protocol for Breast Examination. Every day counts with this disease and chances of survival are greatly improved if the disease is caught early. Please email or write to me (addresses are on the Contact Me page) showing your support to this mandate – it’s the very least a woman can expect if she is unfortunate enough to have this disease. We CAN change things if we all fight together.

You now know more about the symptoms and seriousness of Inflammatory Breast Cancer than almost all of those you know or will meet. Spread the word and help to save lives; and remember, 

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LUMP TO HAVE BREAST CANCER.

Mammograms and Ultrasounds are not enough.

It is of the utmost importance that you get to know your own breasts and report any changes - (which are not monthly (cyclical) and don't clear up in a week or so) to you GP or practice nurse. Make sure you know what is normal and get to know the appearance AND the feel of your own breasts. The tissue in your breast can chance during menstruation - but should go back to normal shortly after a period.  Knowing ALL the symptoms of breast cancer is vitally important so that you can be prompt to get a diagnosis should any changes occur.