This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by
Daniel Liu, MD, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
This page was reviewed on February 4, 2022.
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare form of breast cancer that makes up 1 percent to 5 percent of breast cancers in the United States.
IBC occurs when cancer cells block the lymph vessels (which carry lymph fluid and white blood cells throughout the lymphatic system) in the breast. It gets its name from the “inflamed”—red, swollen and dimpled—appearance of the breast skin. Many women describe it as a rash.
While the cancer is rare, it’s aggressive and fast-growing, which makes it all the more important to be aware of its signs and symptoms—and to get a quick and accurate diagnosis if they arise. Many women want to know what the first signs of IBC are, how quickly it progresses and how it’s diagnosed and treated. To help answer these questions, this article covers:
If you believe you may be experiencing symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer and want to schedule an appointment for diagnostic testing, or if you’re interested in a second opinion for breast cancer, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
Unlike with other types of breast cancers, many people diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer have no lump. That’s why it may be mistaken for breast infections or injuries because of the redness and swelling it causes. While it’s possible to detect inflammatory breast cancer on a mammogram, the imaging device may not recognize evidence of disease because the cancer forms in layers.
Inflammatory breast cancer tends to be seen in younger women (under 40) than other breast cancers. Black women are also at a slightly higher risk of the disease than white women, and being overweight or obese is also known risk factor for inflammatory breast cancer.
IBC symptoms can develop quickly over several weeks. They are a result of lymph vessels becoming blocked and white blood cells building up. Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms include:
These blockages may also cause the lymph nodes under the arm or around the collarbone to become swollen. If the patient is pregnant or breastfeeding, some of these symptoms might be mistaken for a common breast infection called mastitis. This is caused by breast tissue inflammation that usually affects people who are lactating, and they may or may not have an infection. The patient may initially be diagnosed with this condition and sent home with antibiotics. It’s important to talk to the care team if the patient's symptoms don’t go away in seven to 10 days. Unlike an infection, inflammatory breast cancer symptoms do not tend to come and go.
Because of IBC’s quick-growing and aggressive nature, combined with its tendency to be misdiagnosed, it’s commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage.
Doctors determine a diagnosis based not just on the breast's appearance, but on the results from further testing, which may include:
Knowing whether the patient's cancer has any of these characteristics will help the patient and his or her care team make informed treatment decisions.
If the biopsy results in an inflammatory breast cancer diagnosis, the care team will likely order a breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect how much of the breast tissue and lymph nodes are affected, and whether the other breast has been affected (which is rare). The patient may have other tests performed, including positron emission tomography (PET) scan, computed tomography (CT) scan and bone scan, to also see whether the cancer has spread to any other parts of the body.
IBC doesn’t usually appear like typical breast cancer, and it may be hard to catch early. Because of this, by the time IBC is diagnosed, it’s progressed to a more advanced stage. IBC is a type of cancer that grows into the skin, which means it’s already at stage 3 breast cancer when it develops. So, while it forms in the milk ducts, there's no way to know a person has the disease until outward signs appear. Usually, the patient will see changes in the skin because the lymph vessels are blocked. Like other types of breast cancer, IBC tends to spread to nearby lymph nodes first.
Part of the diagnostic process involves the care team determining the specific stage of breast cancer. These include:
It’s important for an accurate and timely diagnosis and staging so treatment can be started without delay.
Treatment for IBC usually starts out with chemotherapy, followed by surgery and breast cancer radiation therapy.
The goal of chemotherapy for breast cancer is to shrink the tumor or tumors as much as possible before surgery so the oncologist can surgically remove as much cancer as possible. If the cancer is HER2-positive, the patient may also undergo a targeted therapy. If the patient's hormone receptor status was positive, the provider may suggest hormone therapy.
A total mastectomy is usually indicated for people with IBC, and if the care team finds cancer in the lymph nodes, these organs may be surgically removed as well. Many people with IBC have radiation therapy following surgery. It’s possible to have breast reconstruction, but because radiation therapy is so important in IBC, it’s recommended to wait until after radiation is finished.
Consider getting a second opinion or even several opinions to be sure the patient is comfortable with his or her surgical team's recommendations and that he or she is getting the information needed to make the right treatment decision.
Clinical trials are also an important avenue in order to receive state-of-the-art care and new treatment options, while also helping doctors improve available treatments. Clinical trials for cancer compare new treatments to standard care. The cancer care team may help the patient find and evaluate potential clinical trial options for IBC. Trials are supported by several organizations, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and several listing search services are available online, such as NCI’s Steps to Find A Clinical Trial.
IBC is a fast-growing and aggressive cancer. However, many factors may influence the patient's outcome from IBC:
While it’s true that this type of cancer has a lower survival rate than other forms of breast cancer, it’s important to remember that each patient's situation is unique, and statistics are generated from previous patients and past treatments.
Statistics on survival and recovery depend on several factors, including the cancer’s stage and the type of treatment.
For instance, if cancer has spread to other organs in the body, the five-year relative survival rate is about 19 percent. But if the cancer has spread to only nearby lymph nodes or structures, the five-year relative survival rate averages about 52 percent.