Inflammatory breast cancer is rare, but its aggressive symptoms can lead to misdiagnosis, and delayed treatment. Signs and symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include skin dimpling, itching, and heaviness of one breast. Inflammatory breast cancer can also mimic other forms of malignancy. Pathology is important to determine the correct diagnosis and treatment. Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms can be difficult to distinguish from other types of breast cancer, but doctors can do a biopsy to rule out other conditions.
The first treatment for inflammatory breast cancer is chemotherapy. This treatment method uses anti-cancer drugs (also known as cytotoxic drugs) to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is typically given before surgery to shrink the tumor and kill cancer cells elsewhere in the body. Most patients with inflammatory breast cancer will undergo surgery after chemotherapy is complete. During this surgery, the breast and lymph glands under the arm are removed. It is crucial to follow chemotherapy closely, as any side effects can complicate the recovery process.
Inflammatory breast cancer is HER2-positive. To treat HER2-positive tumors, doctors often combine trastuzumab with taxane drugs. In most cases, trastuzumab is the treatment of choice for this cancer type. This type of chemo may reduce the size of the tumour or make it less responsive to treatment. Inflammatory breast cancer is usually aggressive and will recur despite treatment.
Inflammatory breast cancer may have spread to lymph nodes in the chest or axilla. Treatment for inflammatory breast cancer involves chemotherapy and other treatments that target HER2 to shrink the tumor and stop the growth of the cancer cells. Ultimately, patients will experience a good survival rate. These statistics do not account for cancer growth after treatment. So, you should make an appointment with a doctor immediately if you suspect you have inflammatory breast cancer.
Although inflammatory breast cancer has no specific cause, the appearance of the breasts is similar to signs of infection, injury, irritation, or inflammation. It usually develops in the first place, after a faulty milk duct has blocked lymph vessels in the breast. Once the lymph vessels are blocked, breast swelling will begin. The symptoms will begin to show within weeks or months of the cancer’s onset. Then, doctors will prescribe treatment options for patients with inflammatory breast cancer.
Although the physical symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer may differ from other types of breast cancer, inflammation is a type of breast cancer that spreads more rapidly than other types. The skin around the breast is affected by the tumor and dimpling and redness may develop. Inflammatory breast cancer can spread to distant sites, so identifying it early is essential for survival. You can use photos of the breast to record its size, color, and amount of swelling.
Most IBCs are hormone receptor negative. Cancers that lack estrogen or progesterone receptors have a poorer prognosis. Other signs of inflammatory breast cancer include high proliferation and overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a hormone that has been linked to reduced survival. These types of breast cancer are generally difficult to treat and are prone to recurring. Therefore, it is important to seek a diagnosis from a qualified medical professional to make the best treatment plans.
