|
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most aggressive type
of breast cancer. It accounts for only 1% - 6% of all breast cancers, which means that it is relatively rare form of breast
cancer. However, it appears suddenly and progresses very rapidly. 3 out of every 10 women diagnosed with IBC die from
it.
IBC is most often diagnosed in women between the age of 50
and 55, and it is frequently mistaken for mastitis (an inflammation of the breast usually caused by infection). Because of
this, many women will not seek early care and treatment for the disease, thinking that it will go away on its own.
In the past, inflammatory breast cancer was treated by surgery and was associated with a 100 percent
mortality rate. The good news is that major progress has been made in recent years using a blend of treatments, including
chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. The combined-treatment process has greatly improved the prognosis for a woman
with inflammatory breast cancer. What was once generally fatal is now a disease that results in half of women diagnosed being
alive in five years and one-third of women diagnosed surviving 10 or more years.
|
