Health Encyclopedia

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare, fast-growing type of breast cancer. The cancer cells block the lymph fluid in the breast tissue and usually don't form lumps.

Symptoms include:

  • Redness, tenderness, and warmth.
  • Thickening of the skin of the breast (orange peel appearance).
  • Rapid breast enlargement.
  • Ridging of the skin of the breast.

Treatment involves chemotherapy, breast surgery, and radiation therapy. Afterwards, more chemotherapy or hormone therapy (or both) may be needed.

Last Revised: April 14, 2011

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Douglas A. Stewart, MD - Medical Oncology

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