March 20, 2008 8:34 PM
Inflammatory breast cancer - you need to know about this
Lisa and Martha sent this to me to pass on. Important information for any woman - please discuss with teen daughters too:
Comments
You've done everyone a great public service, Barbara. If I may, I'd like to add some information to what that good video provided. I have two friends (one now deceased, sadly) who were diagnosed with IBC in their 40s. Both women regularly had breast exams & mammograms.
In the first case, the first sign of a problem was when my friend literally woke up one morning to find one breast swollen, hard, and painful. She didn't have any prior symptoms that she knew about or noticed. Her doctors said that it isn't uncommon for there to be few or no prior symptoms. Also, because IBC cells are formed somewhat like a sheet rather than clump, mammograms do not pick up the presence of this disease.
In the second case, the friend had what seemed to be a breast cyst that was biopsied as part of an ongoing monitoring program of her fibrocystic breast disease (NOT a form of cancer). The "cyst" turned out to be IBC which, thankfully, appears to be self-contained & hasn't spread elsewhere. It is shrinking steadily with chemotherapy & we all feel so thankful - certainly a time when our prayers seem to be heard! Her MD said that her case is only the second case of IBC that he'd seen in 30 years of practice.
If you are a nursing mom (or of that age), a breast infection like mastitis is always possible but those bugs usually respond quickly to antibiotics - quickly as in 24-36 hours or at most a few days. So, if there is redness & swelling, and the antibiotics don't seem to be working after 5-7 days, get yourself back into the MD for an evaluation to be sure that something like IBC isn't involved.
Remember, most of the time breast problems will NOT be cancer-related. So, don't be afraid to have things checked out.
Posted by: SarahLouC | March 20, 2008 10:11 PM
Thank you for posting this video to your site. Sarah is right, never be afraid to 'RULE OUT' what some might say is nothing.
My daughter was in this video that ran in May of 2006.
I lost her on August 29, 2007.
This .. the most aggressive of all breast cancers needs to be in front of the public, and the medical community. All the time.
The reporter in this video, Michelle Esteban, has done a fantastic job of awareness of Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) and this video just keeps on giving. Michelle should be awarded more than the 2 Emmy's she received, but a purple heart for stepping into the fire line.
Thank you again.
Posted by: patti bradfield | March 21, 2008 5:31 PM
