Inflammatory Breast Cancer Might Not Have A Lump

Most women are familiar with having regular breast exams to check for lumps, a sign of breast cancer. But inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer, has no detectable lump. This type of cancer invades the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast and underneath the arms, but frequently spreads to the lymph nodes as well, where it can quickly become metastasized. And since the symptoms mimic those of mastitis, a breast infection, inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed.

Inflammatory breast cancer spreads within weeks. Delaying treatment can have a huge impact on your health. Knowing the signs of inflammatory breast cancer and seeing your doctor right away is the best defense against this disease.

Why Is Finding Inflammatory Beast Cancer Early Important?

Inflammatory breast cancer has a higher fatality rate than other breast cancers. For one in three people, the cancer has already spread from the breast to other parts of the body by the time they are diagnosed, and often people are diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer when it has hit stage 3 or stage 4 cancer.

By the time IBC is diagnosed, in about one-third of cases it has already spread to distant parts of the body.

Because inflammatory breast cancer rapidly grows through the milk ducts and into breast skin, identifying inflammatory breast cancer as early as possible is key. 

How Common Is Inflammatory Breast Cancer?

Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for 1 to 5% of breast cancers diagnosed in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Inflammatory breast cancer occurs in women at a younger age compared to other breast cancers and is more common in Black women and in women who are overweight.

This type of breast cancer is more likely to form in dense breast tissue, which makes it difficult to spot during an annual mammogram screening. So it's essential to become familiar with the symptoms of IBC and seek immediate treatment if you notice anything unusual.

What Are The Symptoms of Inflammatory Breast Cancer?

Symptom of inflammatory breast cancer may worsen within days or even hours. These include:

• Rapid swelling of a single breast
• Redness or other discoloration that covers more than one-third of the breast (may be pink, red or look bruised)
• Pitting or ridges in the breast and thickening of the skin, resembling an orange peel texture
• Lumps that look like hives
• Burning, itching or tenderness in the affected breast
• The affected breast feeling warmer and heavier than the other
• Nipple flattening and turning inward
• Swollen lymph nodes in the underarm and/or collarbone area

IBC should be considered as a stronger possibility if a woman with symptoms is not pregnant or breastfeeding or has already gone through menopause, according to the American Cancer Society.

How Is Inflammatory Breast Cancer Diagnosed?

If inflammatory breast cancer is a concern, your doctor may recommend imaging tests such as a 3D mammogram, ultrasound or MRI to get a better look at your condition.

Diagnosis involves imaging tests like a mammogram, breast ultrasound or breast MRI, as well as a biopsy of breast tissue. That means removing a small piece of breast tissue for evaluation in a lab.

How Is Inflammatory Breast Cancer Treated?

Early treatment for inflammatory breast cancer is crucial. Chemotherapy may be used to shrink the tumor before a mastectomy, and you may need radiation or hormone therapy as well. Many inflammatory breast cancer symptoms – reddening, swelling, warmth and itching – can be signs of a breast infection. IBC is frequently misdiagnosed and treated with antibiotics.

Discuss the possibility of inflammatory breast cancer with your doctor if you experience any symptoms and you:

• Are not pregnant or breastfeeding – two factors that make breast infections more likely
• Don't have a fever (common with breast infections)
• Have gone through menopause
• Started antibiotics but have symptoms that are not improving or are worsening

Early detection is critical to successfully treating inflammatory breast cancer.  At present, women with this type of breast cancer have a 25 to 50 percent chance of being alive five years after diagnosis, which is significantly lower than the survival rate for other breast cancers. If you experience any symptoms, see one of our primary care doctors as soon as possible. Need a second opinion? Connect with our experts in cancer care for an evaluation.