spread rapidly so it is important to see a doctor as soon as you notice any alarming symptoms.
You should also see your doctor if you’ve been diagnosed with a breast infection that isn’t responding well to treatment. He or she can get you tested for inflammatory breast cancer. A breast infection, such as mastitis, which typically occurs when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, can cause some of the same symptoms as inflammatory breast cancer.
RELATED: 5 Reasons Black Patients Should Participate in Metastatic Breast Cancer Trials
Because there is usually no lump to feel during a physical exam or see during a mammogram, doctors may have a hard time coming to a diagnosis. To combat this, your doctor will exam your breast for any changes and order a biopsy if they suspect inflammatory breast cancer. In some cases, your doctor may also recommend additional imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or breast MRI.
After a diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer, doctors will order more tests to collect information about the cancer’s characteristics. These tests, as well as the results of your biopsy and any imaging tests, make up the various parts of your pathology report, which will help determine what the best method of treatment will be, according to Breastcancer.org.
Treatments for IBC include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy. Your healthcare provider may also recommend that you participate in a clinical trial.
Unfourtanetly, IBC can not be prevented and because it spreads quickly and often recurs, the prognosis isn’t as good as other forms of breast cancer.
However, regular mammograms and self-exams can help you get diagnosed as early as possible and manage the condition as effectively as possible. So ladies if you haven’t checked your breasts out, this is your sign to do so!