IBC affects up to 5 percent of women with breast cancer. It is extremely aggressive, rapidly spreading from a small “bug bite” to involve the surface of the entire breast in a matter of weeks. Typically, there is no detectable lump. The five-year survival rate is only 40 percent, less than half the rate for other breast cancers. Because it does not look like other breast cancers, women often are not diagnosed with IBC until it has spread to other organs. More baffling, the disease affects a disproportionate number of younger, premenopausal women who are typically not considered at risk for breast cancer. M. D. Anderson’s Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Clinic honors Welch who, despite her doctors’ most valiant efforts, died of the disease at the age of 24. The multi-disciplinary team of physicians and scientist is dedicated to finding more effective diagnostics and better treatment for women with inflammatory breast cancer.
Click here for a list of symptoms and more information.
KOMO News Special Report:
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
more info
- Swelling, usually sudden, sometimes a cup size in a few days;
- Itching;
- Pink, red, or dark-colored area (called erythema), sometimes with texture similar to the skin of an orange (called peau d’orange);
- Ridges and thickened areas of the skin;
- Nipple retraction;
- Nipple discharge, may or may not be bloody;
- Breast is warm to the touch;
- Breast pain (from a constant ache to stabbing pains);
- Change in color and texture of the areola.
For more information about the Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program & Clinic at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, click on the following links:
