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A diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer is based on your medical history, your physical examination and an excisional biopsy

— taking a small sample of skin and some of the underlying tissue to examine under a microscope.

An excisional biopsy that includes the skin is helpful because a hallmark of inflammatory breast cancer is finding tightly packed clumps of cancer cells (tumor emboli) in the lymphatic vessels of the skin.

Imaging tests — mammogram and breast ultrasound — also may be used to confirm the diagnosis by showing areas of skin thickening.

If the biopsy results confirm that you have inflammatory breast cancer, the next step is to determine how advanced your cancer is — its stage, or extent and severity.

Your doctor may perform additional tests, such as a CT scan of your chest and abdomen, chest X-ray, and bone scan, to check for the presence of cancer cells in other parts of your body (metastases).

Your cancer will also be tested for the presence or absence of receptors for the hormones estrogen and progesterone, and to see if the cancer produces too much of a protein called HER2. Inflammatory breast cancers are often hormone receptor negative and HER2-positive.

Inflammatory breast cancer is classified as stage IIIB or stage IV breast cancer. Stage IIIB is locally advanced cancer — meaning it has spread to nearby lymph nodes and to the fibrous connective tissue inside the breast. Stage IV cancer has spread to other parts of your body, such as bones or liver. About one-third of newly diagnosed inflammatory breast cancers are stage IV.

- Mayo Clinic

 

 

After The Diagnosis

I would suggest that after you are diagnosed you get a second opinion. Although you might trust your doctors and your facility, this is a rare disease. Getting a second opinion will leave your mind free of doubt about your diagnosis and about your treatment.

Your doctor could probably help you arrange your appointments to get you an appointment as quickly as possible. If not, I am sure that when you call and cancer center and explain your diagnosis they will get you in.

Most insurance companies allow for second opinions. Even though getting this second opinion may delay treatment by a week I think it is worth it for the piece of mind you will get both now and in the future.

Once you have gotten past your decision to obtain a 2nd opinion or maybe even while you are waiting for your appointment you will be introduced into the mysterious world of medicine.

You will probably have X-RAYS, M.R.I., C.A.T scans, and P.E.T scans. It all seems overwhelming. Just the schedule alone is overwhelming let alone the unfamiliarity with the facility and most of the machines.

I hope you have the same experience I did though. Most of the people who helped me through this process were wonderfully compassionate and patient. My experience is that if they aren’t --- you don’t have to just tolerate it. There are plenty of wonderful people to step into help you. You have to remember that you are the consumer, the customer so to speak.

So if you are not getting questions answered or being treated right, either speak up or move on.

While your tests are being analyzed you will be putting together your team of doctors who will be suggested by the dr. that diagnosed you. These doctors, especially you oncologist will become a huge part of your life. so even though they highly recommended , if you don’t feel right for you, move on. It isn’t the end of the world for them. They will get over it.

You will also meet a social worker. This member of your team will be as helpful as you need them to be. They will probably introduce you to the oncology nurses. They will invite you to a support group if it fits for you. There is as much or as little support out there as you want to take advantage of. In the resources section of this site will be a list of programs and groups for you to take advantage of.

 

 

 

 

Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for between 1 percent and 6 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States.

Inflammatory breast cancer can easily be confused with a breast infection, but if it's cancer, symptoms won't go away with antibiotics.

Seek medical attention promptly if you notice skin changes on your breast, to help distinguish a breast infection from other breast disorders.

Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for between 1 percent and 6 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States. Survival rates are lower than those observed in other locally advanced breast cancers. But new treatment approaches offer greater odds for survival than ever before.

Other conditions have symptoms resembling those of inflammatory breast cancer.

A breast infection (mastitis) also causes redness, swelling and pain, but breast infections usually develop during breast-feeding.

With an infection, you're likely to have a fever, which is unusual (but not unheard of) in inflammatory breast cancer.

Breast surgery or radiation therapy may block the lymphatic vessels in breast skin, temporarily making the breast swell and become discolored.

When caused by surgery or radiation treatments, however, these changes gradually subside.

If you have an apparent breast infection that fails to improve despite a week of treatment with antibiotics, ask your doctor to do a further breast evaluation.

This may include imaging studies such as ultrasound, mammogram or MRI scan and a biopsy.

If test results show no signs of cancer, but your signs and symptoms appear to be getting worse, talk with your doctor about performing another biopsy — especially one that includes a skin sample — or ask for a referral to a breast specialist.

- Mayo Clinic