Most women are taught to give themselves a self breast exam every month and told to look for a lump. However, what happens when a form of breast cancer, specifically Inflammatory Breast Cancer isn’t detected by a lump?
Inflammatory Breast Cancer – IBC
While you may not have heard of IBC, it accounts for one out of five people who suffer from breast cancer. It’s aggressive and people can have it without even knowing about it. There is no lump to look for and it won’t show up on mammogram. The only way to tell is by paying attention to your breasts and getting a MRI and biopsy if you happen to see any changes in your breast. Changes you may notice include:
- Your breasts look swollen or suddenly increase in size
- They look red and irritated
- Red spots that appear like bug bites
- Inverted nipple
- Skin may look pitted
- Burning or itchy feeling
Breast Cancer Doesn’t Discriminate
Many people think that women are the only ones who suffer from breast cancer, but this simply not true. Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate, men, women, whites, African Americans, and all other races can suffer from IBC and will die if not treated as soon as detected.
Get the Word Out
Tell everyone one you know about IBC because most people don’t know about it. As seen in a Komo 4 news special, Silent Killer: Inflammatory Breast Cancer, some of these women didn’t think they had breast cancer because they didn’t find a lump. One woman’s doctor said that she had bug bites and gave her cream for it!
It’s now up to you, spread the word about Inflammatory Breast Cancer so you can save the life of a loved one!
Photo Courtesy of: wishupnacupcake from Flikr
Tue, Nov 24, 2009
Health