On average, it affects women at younger ages than other forms of breast cancer—often occurring in women under 40, but it has a median age at diagnosis of 57. And though it is very rare, IBC can also occur in men.
Inflammatory breast cancer makes up an estimated 1% to 5% of all breast cancers in the United States. The disease typically occurs in women younger than 40. Black women seem to have a higher risk of inflammatory breast cancer than White women. Inflammatory breast cancer can also occur in men.
IBC can occur at any age, although the incidence of IBC is higher in younger women. Though rare, even teenagers have been diagnosed with IBC.
Inflammatory breast cancer is rare, accounting for 1 to 5 percent of all breast cancers diagnosed in the United States. Most inflammatory breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinomas, which means they developed from cells that line the milk ducts of the breast and then spread beyond the ducts.
The condition is most common in women over age 50 who have been through the menopause. About 8 out of 10 cases of breast cancer happen in women over 50. All women who are 50 to 70 years of age should be screened for breast cancer every 3 years as part of the NHS Breast Screening Programme.
Signs and symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer
Swelling (edema) of the skin of the breast. Redness involving more than one-third of the breast. Pitting or thickening of the skin of the breast so that it may look and feel like an orange peel.
With treatment, prognosis (chance of survival) for young women diagnosed with early breast cancer is good. However, prognosis tends to be worse for women under 40 than for older women. This is because breast cancers in younger women can be more aggressive than breast cancers in older women [225].
Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms can appear quite suddenly. Symptoms include: swelling and redness of the breast. pain.
The signs of inflammation, such as redness, warmth, swelling or pain that can occur with a breast infection such as mastitis, also occur in inflammatory breast cancer. It is important to see your gynecologist or primary care physician right away if you have any of these changes in the breast.
IBC doesn't usually appear like typical breast cancer, and it may be hard to catch early. Because of this, by the time IBC is diagnosed, it's progressed to a more advanced stage.
On average, it affects women at younger ages than other forms of breast cancer—often occurring in women under 40, but it has a median age at diagnosis of 57.
IBC is considered a fast-growing (aggressive) cancer. It only takes a few weeks or months to progress. By the time it's diagnosed, it's already spread to your breast skin, making it at least a stage III cancer.
Experts are still not sure why left-sided breast cancer appears to be more common. Over the years, researchers have made various hypotheses to try to explain it, such as: the larger size of the left breast. early detection of tumors in those who are righthanded.
Inflammatory breast cancer on ultrasound is a vital diagnostic tool in detecting this disease. It can provide essential information about cancer's size, location, and extent. Ultrasound clinic uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of breast tissue.
Unlike other types of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer doesn't usually show up as a lump or appear in a screening mammogram, which is why it's often misdiagnosed.
The problem is that inflammatory breast cancer can look very much like mastitis early on, and is often diagnosed only after a woman has been treated first for mastitis (often with no improvement in symptoms).
Swelling of lymph nodes: The lymph nodes under your arm or above the collarbone may be swollen. Flattening or inversion of the nipple: The nipple may go flat or turn inward. Aching or burning: Your breast may ache or feel tender.
Blood tests are not used to diagnose breast cancer, but they can help to get a sense of a person's overall health. For example, they can be used to help determine if a person is healthy enough to have surgery or certain types of chemotherapy.
Breast cancer causes changes in your body that can lead to fatigue. Many breast cancers release proteins called cytokines, which have been linked to fatigue. Breast cancer also may change your body's hormone levels and cause inflammation, both of which may contribute to fatigue.
Typical breast cancer, when it is found, also doesn't cause pain. “If a tumor grows big enough that you can feel it, it will feel like a rock in your breast tissue.
A woman's risk for breast cancer is higher if she has a mother, sister, or daughter (first-degree relative) or multiple family members on either her mother's or father's side of the family who have had breast or ovarian cancer. Having a first-degree male relative with breast cancer also raises a woman's risk.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), is non-invasive breast cancer that has not spread outside the milk ducts where it started. DCIS isn't life threatening, but is considered a precursor to invasive breast cancer and increases the risk of developing an invasive breast cancer later in life.
“Invasive lobular breast cancer is slow-growing compared to other breast cancers,” she says, “but because it is difficult to detect on a mammogram, these tumors can be large by the time they are diagnosed.”
IBC is an aggressive disease, with a historically reported five-year survival rate around 40%. Advances in care are helping more patients live longer, though.