breast cancer bracelet

IBC typically cannot be identified through:

Mammogram – Because IBC usually does not occur in the form of a lump (the cancer is spread throughout breast tissue), it is difficult to detect with a mammogram. The most characteristic mammography findings consist of swelling of the skin.

Ultrasound – This test confirms the swelling (edema) of the skin and can better identify breast nodules (if present). It also is the most appropriate test for the evaluation of lymph nodes.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – This is probably the most sensitive test because it includes a functional description of the abnormal findings. It should be included among the diagnostic tests once the pathological diagnosis is confirmed. It is extremely useful in evaluating the clinical response to chemotherapy.

Core biopsy – Typically, fine-needle aspiration or a core biopsy (removal of tissue with a needle) is performed to obtain a pathological diagnosis of invasive disease, but these diagnostic procedures are not appropriate for IBC because of the peculiar growth pattern in the breast lymphatic system.



What diagnostic tests identify IBC?

Surgical biopsy – Most of the time a skin biopsy or a surgical biopsy is necessary. These procedures are able to collect larger samples that include the skin and underlying tissue with higher chances to identify the cancer cells.

PET Scan – In the near future, this could be one of the most important diagnostic/staging tests for IBC, though it still is under study. We have found that with the PET scan we can see more disease.



We can see lymph nodes far from the breast, which tells us we have a metastatic cancer already at the time of diagnosis. If we limit staging to mammogram, CT (computed tomography – computerized X-rays) and bone scans we may miss different components of this inflammatory spreading, which may have significant consequences in the way we treat the cancer and the way we process patients.



What is the survival rate for IBC?

The five-year median survival rate for inflammatory breast cancer is approximately 40%. The main reasons for such a disappointing outcome are multiple and include: a delay in diagnosis, the lack of expertise in treating IBC because it is so rare and the relative resistance the disease has to standard chemotherapeutic agents.



With regard to the first critical issue, it is important to keep in mind that IBC is a fast-growing cancer (it can spread within weeks), and it is often mistaken for something other than breast cancer, such as a rash or infection.