Inflammatory breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer
SpecialtyOncology

Inflammatory breast cancer[1] (IBC) is one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer. It can occur in women of any age (and, extremely rarely, in men, see male breast cancer[2]). It is referred to as "inflammatory" due to its frequent presentation with symptoms resembling a skin inflammation, such as erysipelas.

Inflammatory breast cancer presents with variable signs and symptoms, frequently without detectable lumps or tumors; it therefore is often not detected by mammography or ultrasound.[3] Typical presentation is rapid breast swelling, sometimes associated with skin changes (peau d'orange), and nipple retraction. Other signs include redness, persistent itching, and unusually warm skin. IBC often initially resembles mastitis. Approximately 50% to 75% of cases have the typical presentation; an atypical presentation makes diagnosis more difficult. In some cases, a sign such as acute central venous thrombosis may be the sole presenting indication of the disease.

IBC comprises a small proportion of breast cancer cases (1% to 6% in the USA).[4] African-Americans are usually diagnosed with IBC at younger ages than Caucasian women, and they are also at higher risk for the disease.[5] Recent advances in therapy have improved the prognosis considerably; at least one-third of women will survive with IBC for ten years or longer.[6]

  1. ^ "Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Questions and Answers". National Cancer Institute. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2006.
  2. ^ Nofal MN, Yousef AJ (December 2019). "The diagnosis of male breast cancer". The Netherlands Journal of Medicine. 77 (10): 356–359. PMID 31880271.
  3. ^ Komen SG. "Facts for Life - Inflammatory Breast Cancer" (PDF). The Cure. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2006.
  4. ^ Wingo PA, Jamison PM, Young JL, Gargiullo P (April 2004). "Population-based statistics for women diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer (United States)". Cancer Causes & Control (Submitted manuscript). 15 (3): 321–328. doi:10.1023/B:CACO.0000024222.61114.18. JSTOR 3554049. PMID 15090727. S2CID 25585518.
  5. ^ Gordon L (2001). "Inflammatory breast cancer". Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 5 (4): 175–176. PMID 12690620.
  6. ^ Giordano SH, Hortobagyi GN (2003). "Inflammatory breast cancer: clinical progress and the main problems that must be addressed". Breast Cancer Research. 5 (6): 284–288. doi:10.1186/bcr608. PMC 314400. PMID 14580242.