Read press release Inflammatory breast cancer
This page is about a rare type of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. There is information about
Inflammatory breast cancer
This is a rare type of breast cancer. Only about 1 to 4 breast cancers out of every 100 diagnosed (1 or 4%) are this type. It is called inflammatory because the breast tissue becomes inflamed. The cancer cells block the smallest lymph channels in the breast. The lymph channels drain excess fluid away from the tissues and organs.
Symptoms
Because the lymph channels are blocked, the breast becomes swollen, red, firm or hard, and hot to the touch. It may be painful, but this is not always the case. Other possible symptoms include thickening of the breast tissue, ridges, or pitting of the skin of the breast. Sometimes there is a lump in the breast. The nipple may become inverted (pulled in to the breast), or there may be a discharge from the nipple.
Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms can appear quite suddenly. It is often confused with an infection of the breast (mastitis).
Treatment for inflammatory breast cancer
The treatment for inflammatory breast cancer can be slightly different than for other types of breast cancer. Usually, chemotherapy is the first treatment. After chemotherapy you are most likely to have surgery. You may also have radiotherapy and hormone therapy or biological therapy after your surgery, to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the About breast cancer section.
This is a rare type of breast cancer. Only about 1 to 4 breast cancers out of every 100 diagnosed (1 or 4%) are this type. It is called inflammatory because the breast tissue becomes inflamed. The cancer cells block the smallest lymph channels in the breast. The lymph channels (or lymph ducts) are part of the lymphatic system. They drain excess tissue fluid away from the body tissues and organs.
Because the lymph channels are blocked, the breast may become
- Swollen
- Red
- Firm or hard
- Hot to the touch
The breast can also be painful in inflammatory breast cancer, but this is not always the case.
Other possible symptoms include
- Ridges or thickening of the skin of the breast
- Pitted skin, like orange peel
- A lump in the breast
- A discharge from the nipple
- An inverted nipple – the nipple is pulled into the breast
Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms can appear quite suddenly. It is often confused with an infection of the breast (mastitis) because the symptoms are very similar. Your doctor or nurse may give you a course of antibiotics at first, to see if that clears up the symptoms.
The treatment for inflammatory breast cancer can be slightly different than for other types of breast cancer. Usually chemotherapy is the first treatment. This is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy. You have this first to help control the cancer cells in the breast and reduce the swelling. It also aims to destroy any cancer cells that may have spread elsewhere in the body.
After chemotherapy, you are most likely to have surgery. The type of surgery will depend on
- The size of the cancer when you were diagnosed
- How the cancer has responded to the chemotherapy
- Where the tumour is in the breast
Removing the whole breast (mastectomy) is the most common operation for inflammatory breast cancer. But some women can have only the area of cancer removed with a surrounding area of healthy tissue (wide local excision). You may also have radiotherapy and hormone therapy after your surgery, to try to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. If your cancer has receptors for biological therapy drugs you may be offered biological therapy.
There is detailed information about breast cancer treatments in this section.
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