Inflammatory Breast Cancer-Topic Overview
Inflammatory Breast Cancer-Topic Overview
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Guide
Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare, fast-growing type of breast cancer. It is often called IBC for short.
Unlike other breast cancers, this type of cancer may not cause a lump in the breast. So regular breast exams and mammograms often fail to catch it early. Because it grows so fast, it usually has spread by the time it is diagnosed.
Under the Affordable Care Act, many health insurance plans will provide free women’s preventive services, including mammograms, birth control and well-woman visits. Learn more.
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In this type of cancer, the cancer cells often do not form lumps in the breast. Instead, the cancer cells block the lymph vessels that normally keep lymph fluid moving in the breast.
When the normal flow of lymph fluid is blocked, it can make the breast look swollen and red and feel warm, as if it were infected. The swelling may cause lots of tiny dimples in the skin. Sometimes it causes a lump that grows quickly, but you can have inflammatory breast cancer without having a lump in your breast.
Inflammatory breast cancer can cause one or more of these symptoms:
Inflammatory Breast Cancer - Topic Overview
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Guide
What is inflammatory breast cancer?
Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare, fast-growing type of breast cancer. It is often called IBC for short.
Unlike other breast cancers, this type of cancer may not cause a lump in the breast. So regular breast exams and mammograms often fail to catch it early. Because it grows so fast, it usually has spread by the time it is diagnosed.
Did You Know?
Under the Affordable Care Act, many health insurance plans will provide free women’s preventive services, including mammograms, birth control and well-woman visits. Learn more.
Health Insurance Center
What causes inflammatory breast cancer?
In this type of cancer, the cancer cells often do not form lumps in the breast. Instead, the cancer cells block the lymph vessels that normally keep lymph fluid moving in the breast.
When the normal flow of lymph fluid is blocked, it can make the breast look swollen and red and feel warm, as if it were infected. The swelling may cause lots of tiny dimples in the skin. Sometimes it causes a lump that grows quickly, but you can have inflammatory breast cancer without having a lump in your breast.
What are the symptoms?
Inflammatory breast cancer can cause one or more of these symptoms:
- A breast that is swollen, red, and warm
- A breast that is tender or painful
- An area of itching in the breast
- A recent change in the nipple. Sometimes the nipple pulls back into the breast instead of pointing outward. This is called a retracted nipple.
- A change in the skin, especially an area that looks thick and pitted, like an orange peel. Sometimes there are ridges in the skin and small bumps that look like a rash or hives.
- An area of the breast that looks bruised
- Swollen lymph glands (lymph nodes) in the armpit
- One or more lumps in the breast
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