Inflammatory Breast Cancer Doesn’t Have A Lump

My friend had her mammogram and nothing looked troubling, her technician rushed her results to the radiologist and before she got home 20 minutes later there was a call letting her know that the lump she was feeling was not a tumor. We all breathed a giant sigh of relief.
Then I read at Fenicle. Emily’s cousin was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer, a rare but aggressive cancer which does not have a lump. This form of cancer spreads in sheets of cancerous cells and spreads rapidly.
Emily was sharing the story of WhyMommy, a mother of two young boys battling Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She wrote a fabulous post about her story and I’d like you to read it here.

There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.

I guess I’ve always known any change in your breasts can indicate a problem, however I didn’t really know cancer could present itself in this way.
So my friend is in a better frame of mind now that the lump has been ruled as nothing. However I did share this information with her because she found the apparent lump because of some redness and swelling of her breast. She’s seeing a specialist next week to rule out any other issues.
Sometimes it’s uncanny how information comes into your frame of reference at exactly the right time. It’s unlikely my friend has Inflammatory Breast Cancer, but since it’s so rare many doctors don’t know to look for it. At least now she can make sure they rule it out in her case. I can’t quit you Internet.
It’s also an excellent reminder of why we visually examine our breasts each month as part of a self check. You’re looking for, “….redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange).”
Pretty much if your breasts act funny, get to the doctor, make sure they are familiar with Inflammatory Breast Cancer and rule it out as soon as possible. Early detection is so important with this aggressive and deadly form of breast cancer.