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Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Skin that feels warm or hotColor changes " пїЅ Skin looks pink, red, or purple.Thicker skinDimples or pits on the skin " пїЅ This can look like the skin on an orange.Nipple changes. These can include:- Flat nipple - Nipple that turns red - A crust or blister on the nipple - Nipple that points in (if it pointed out before)

Painful, swollen breast Should I see a doctor or nurse? " пїЅ See your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of the symptoms above. пїЅ пїЅ

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  • Flat nipple
  • Nipple that turns red
  • A crust or blister on the nipple
  • Nipple that points in (if it pointed out before)

Should I see a doctor or nurse? " пїЅ See your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of the symptoms above. пїЅ пїЅ

Is there a test for inflammatory breast cancer? " пїЅ Yes. The doctor or nurse will order a special kind of X-ray called a "mammogram. " пїЅ This is a test for breast cancer. It is done on both breasts. пїЅ пїЅ

The doctor or nurse will do an exam and learn about the symptoms. This can help find IBC. It can also show if another condition is causing the symptoms. пїЅ пїЅ

If you might have IBC, you will probably have another test called a "biopsy. " пїЅ During a biopsy, a doctor takes one or more small samples of tissue. These samples can be from: пїЅ пїЅ

  • The breast
  • The skin on the breast
  • The lymph nodes " пїЅ These are small, bean-shaped organs that are part of the bodys infection-fighting system.

If you have IBC, the doctor might order imaging tests to see if the cancer has spread. These imaging tests might be a CT, bone scan, or other imaging tests. Imaging tests create detailed pictures of the inside of the body. пїЅ пїЅ

How is inflammatory breast cancer treated? " пїЅ Most people with IBC have the following treatments: пїЅ пїЅ

  • Chemotherapy " пїЅ Chemotherapy is the term doctors use to describe a group of medicines that kill cancer cells. If a person has IBC, doctors give these medicines before surgery or radiation therapy. The medicines can shrink the cancer. If the medicines shrink the cancer enough, the person is usually treated with surgery to remove the breast (called a "mastectomy " пїЅ) and the lymph nodes under the arm. If the medicines do not shrink the cancer enough, the second step might be radiation therapy, then followed by an operation.
  • Mastectomy " пїЅ Mastectomy is surgery to remove the whole breast. A "modified radical mastectomy " пїЅ also removes lymph nodes. This helps doctors take out as much cancer as possible.
  • Radiation therapy " пїЅ Radiation kills cancer cells. Most people with IBC have radiation after chemotherapy and surgery. Sometimes, if there was not a good response to the chemotherapy, radiation is done before the operation.
  • Hormone therapy " пїЅ Some forms of breast cancer grow in response to hormones. The doctor might give you treatments to block hormones. Treatments can also stop your body from making certain hormones.

What happens after treatment? " пїЅ After treatment, you need to be checked as often as the doctor says. IBC often comes back after treatment. The doctor will check to see if it comes back. пїЅ пїЅ

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 83033 Version 4.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.206 пїЅ пїЅ

пїЅ пїЅ 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. пїЅ пїЅ

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пїЅ пїЅ 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. пїЅ пїЅ