What is inflamatory breast cancer (IBC)?

Inflamatory breast cancer is a rare, less common but very aggressive type of breast cancer. It tends to be diagnosed in younger women compared to non-IBC breast cancer, in which the cancer cells block and hinder the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. This type of breast cancer is called “inflammatory” because the breast often looks swollen and red, or “inflamed.” IBC accounts for 1 to 5 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States. It occurs more frequently and at a younger age in African Americans than in Whites. Like other types of breast cancer, IBC can also occur in men, but usually at an older age than in women. Some studies have shown an connection between family chronicle of breast cancer and IBC, but further studies are needed to draw firm conclusions.