Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer is one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer. It is curable when diagnosed early and treated quickly. Watch this video to learn more.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symptoms
Unlike other forms of breast cancer that form a lump in the breast, inflammatory breast cancer is characterized by physical symptoms that develop rapidly. They are caused by cancer cells that block the flow of lymph fluid through the breast tissue. Signs of inflammatory breast cancer include:

• Visible enlargement of one breast
• Breast discoloration: the breast may turn red, purple, or pink, indicating bruising or inflammation is present
• Visible breast skin changes including thicker breast skin, skin that looks pitted like an orange peel, and possible dimples or ridges in the skin
• Tenderness, pain, and/or aching

Mastitis or Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Because these symptoms resemble mastitis, inflammatory breast cancer can be misdiagnosed. Mastitis is treated with antibiotics. If the symptoms don’t go away or worsen after antibiotic treatment, it’s important that you see an inflammatory breast cancer specialist immediately.

Hormone Receptor Status
Certain proteins that fuel cancer growth may be present when inflammatory breast cancer occurs. The hormone receptor status of your breast cancer determines the best approach to treatment. Aggressive hormone-positive, HER2, and triple-negative breast cancers are more likely to occur in Inflammatory breast cancer. Your doctor will perform several tests to determine if your cancer is:

• Estrogen receptor positive (ER+)
• Progesterone receptor positive (PR+)
• HER2 positive (HER2 is a specific protein)
• Hormone receptor-positive (estrogen and progesterone are present)
• Triple-negative (estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 are not present)

Metastatic Inflammatory Breast Cancer
If cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it is called metastatic breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer can spread quickly. Seek care from a specialist if inflammatory breast cancer symptoms last longer than one week.

Recurrent Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer can return at any time. Scheduling regular follow-up appointments for exams and imaging with an inflammatory breast cancer specialist can ensure recurring breast cancer is caught early and treated immediately.

We Are an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
At National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers like Duke Health, you’ll work with breast cancer specialists whose level of expertise can only be found at a few cancer centers across the country. Our breast cancer specialists have years of experience treating inflammatory breast cancer.

Our Team Approach to Your Cancer Care
Your team includes medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists with specific expertise in inflammatory breast cancer. as well as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, specially trained oncology nurses, social workers, pharmacists, genetic counselors, nutritionists, and others. They help you every step of the way.

Patient Navigators Coordinate Your Care
Our patient navigators become your one-stop shop for scheduling appointments, coordinating your visits, communicating your test results, and planning your surgery. It’s their job to make your treatment journey easier by guiding you through it step by step. They are more than willing to answer all your questions along the way.

Metastatic and Molecular Tumor Boards Review Patients' Care
Duke breast medical oncologists hold weekly meetings called “tumor boards” for our patients with metastatic breast cancer. They discuss and review our patients’ care, identify optimal treatments, and screen for clinical trials. The molecular tumor board also meets weekly to review specific genetic abnormalities within all tumor types and evaluate optimal targeted therapies.

We Provide Second Opinions and Work with Your Local Doctor
If your home is not close to one of our cancer centers, we can provide a second opinion to review your cancer diagnosis and treatment options and partner with your local doctors to advocate for your care.

Our Support Services Follow You Through Your Journey
You’ll have access to the full range of services to help minimize the side effects of treatment and support you and your loved ones through your cancer journey. Our financial coordinators help you navigate ways to pay for your care.

Once Your Cancer Treatment Ends
We continue to monitor your health through our survivorship clinic. Our survivorship providers work together with your oncology team and primary physician to optimize your health and monitor for any long-term effects that might result from your treatment. We help you maintain a personalized plan that includes ongoing screenings to ensure you live your best possible life as a cancer survivor.

Leading Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research
Your medical team is actively involved in inflammatory breast cancer research. We partner with the Duke consortium to discover new ways to understand, prevent, and treat inflammatory breast cancer. Duke is also part of the Susan G. Komen Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation, which is working to improve the survival of inflammatory breast cancer patients.