|
Never heard of Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC)? Marilyn and her family had not either before 2007. IBC is the rarest, yet most aggressive type of breast cancer. It especially targets young women, like Marilyn. IBC is not like the breast cancer we’ve all heard so much about. There are no lumps or bumps. This cancer cells grow in sheets, clogging the lymph vessels of the breast. It usually can not be seen on a mammogram or ultrasound! Symptoms are similar to an infection, in that the breast often appears swollen, bruised, and warm to the touch. It is no wonder that Marilyn, and her primary care doctor, were initially unconcerned. However, IBC grows incredibly rapidly, and symptoms quickly escalate over the course of just a few weeks or months. The affected breast can actually increase a whole cup size in just a few days! Because IBC is so aggressive, it is almost certain to have spread at the time of diagnosis, as in Marilyn’s case. To learn more about IBC symptoms and treatment, see the following links below:
Inflamatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation
National Cancer Insitute
Mayo Clinic
BreastCancer.org
|
