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Information on Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare cancer that happens in
a very small percentage of women. It is an aggressive type of
locally advanced cancer.
In general, women with inflammatory breast cancer are diagnosed
at a younger age. In extremely rare circumstances, this form
of breast cancer is diagnosed in men. Inflammatory breast cancer
usually develops as a sheet rather than a lump.
Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include:
Breast becomes red, purple, pink or bruised;
Breast becomes firm and enlarged;
A warm feeling in the breast;
Itching of the breast;
Pain;
Skin texture similar to an orange peel;
Enlarged lymph nodes under the arm;
Flattening of the nipple;
Swollen skin on the nipple;
Change in color of the skin around the nipple.
It is very easy to mix up the symptoms of inflammatory breast
cancer with those of a breast infection. If you become aware
of any of the signs of inflammatory breast cancer, see your doctor
immediately.
This form of cancer is not caused by an inflammation or infection.
Inflammatory breast cancer happens when cancer cells clog the
lymphatic vessels in the skin overlying the breast.
In the past, inflammatory breast cancer was treated by surgery
and was associated with a 100% mortality rate. Fortunately, major
progress has been made in recent years using a combination of
treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
These treatments have greatly improved the prognosis for a woman
with inflammatory breast cancer. Recent studies have shown as
much as a 50% survival rate after 5 years and a 35% survival
rate after 10 years.
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