Inflammatory and Locally Advanced Breast Cancer
Inflammatory and locally advanced
breast cancer are accelerated forms of breast cancer that may not be detected by mammogram or ultrasound.
These are rare cancers, accounting for approximately 2% to 5% of all breast cancers. Locally advanced breast cancer may be operable (meaning that surgery might be a treatment option,) inoperable, or inflammatory.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) Prognosis
Prognosis describes the likely course and outcome of a disease -- that is, the chance that a patient will recover or have a recurrence. IBC is more likely to have metastasized (spread to other areas of the body) at the time of diagnosis than non-IBC cases. As a result, the 5-year survival rate for patients with IBC is between 25 and 50 percent, which is significantly lower than the survival rate for patients with non-IBC breast cancer. It is important to keep in mind, however, that these statistics are averages based on large numbers of patients. Statistics cannot be used to predict what will happen to a particular patient because each person's situation is unique. Patients are encouraged to talk to their doctors about their prognosis given their particular situation.
SOURCE: National Cancer Institute
What Are the Symptoms of Inflammatory Breast Cancer?
Unlike the more common form of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer
does not generally show up as a lump. The disease grows as nests or sheets that
clog the lymph system under the skin. Often the symptoms are attributed to other
diseases and thus the diagnosis may take a long time to occur.
Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include:
- Pain in the breast. Often inflammatory breast cancer is mistaken as a breast infection and treated with antibiotics. If response to antibiotics doesn't occur after a week, request a breast biopsy or referral to a breast specialist.
- Skin changes in the breast area. You may find pink or reddened areas often with the texture and thickness of an orange. (peau d'orange)
- A bruise on the breast that doesn't go away
- Sudden swelling of the breast
- Itching of the breast
- Nipple retraction or discharge
- Swelling of the lymph nodes under the arm or in the neck.
These changes often occur quickly, over a period of weeks.
How is Inflammatory Breast Cancer Diagnosed?
Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as another medical
condition. It's important to pursue a breast or skin biopsy if treatments for
another breast condition like an infection don't work.
How Is Inflammatory Breast Cancer Treated?
Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive cancer that can spread quickly. Treatment options include:
- Surgery. If the inflammatory breast cancer has not spread beyond
the breast, a mastectomy can be performed to remove the tumor. However,
mastectomy has been known to increase the chance of recurrence because
inflammatory breast cancer involves the lymph nodes of the skin -- and the
skin is stitched together after mastectomy.
- Chemotherapy. This is often given before surgery (neoadjuvant
therapy) to reduce the amount of tumor present and decrease the recurrence
risk.
- High Dose Chemotherapy/Bone Marrow Transplant. Researchers are
studying whether giving high doses of chemotherapy, followed by bone marrow or
stem cell transplantation is effective for treating inflammatory breast cancer.
- Radiation. Often radiation is given after chemotherapy and before surgery to help reduce an inoperable cancer so surgery can be done. It may also be given after surgery to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.
WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed by Arnold Wax, MD, on June 20, 2009
© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last Editorial Review: 6/20/2009
