A rare type of breast cancer is known as inflammatory breast cancer, often abbreviated IBC, and it is a very aggressive form of cancer, which metastasizes quickly, and presents with symptoms that include redness and swelling around the breast area, as well as a feeling of warmth. Those that have been diagnosed with IBC should enroll in the latest clinical trials, as some of the medicines being tested have had some success and it is important to slow down the spread of cancer as quickly as possible. Of course, you should also follow the recommendation of your doctor and any treatments that he or she prescribes as well.
What Exactly is IBC?
In inflammatory breast cancer, the cancerous cells block the lymph vessels. IBS starts with one cancerous cell in one of the breast ducts and with the changes of its DNA it duplicates quickly.
The grown number of abnormal breast cells accumulate and clog the lymphatic vessels and than all the symptoms start to appear. The reason that this type of cancer is named ‘inflammatory’ is because of the appearance of the area, which looks red, irritated and inflamed. Around twenty percent of breast cancer cases in the United States are of inflammatory breast cancer and often occurs more in African-American women, and occurs in younger age than other types of cancer. Men do sometimes get IBC, but generally only at a much older age than women. Researchers have found links to family history and IBC.
How Do You Know if You Have IBC?
Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer will usually include a redness and inflammation around the breast, as well as the warmth discussed earlier. However, it may also present with a lump, but this should not be relied upon, as many cases do not have a lump present. The cancer cells will block the lymph vessels and this is what causes the inflammation. Continue reading Inflammatory Breast Cancer