When Breast Cancer Isn’t a Lump

Photo by Lidal-K.

We’re trained to feel for lumps or bumps in our breasts because common breast cancers start with a single cell that replicates its way into a ball of palpable concern but did you know that not all breast cancers form a lump?

Inflammatory breast cancer is easily confused with a breast infection because it attacks the lymph ducts and causes fluid to back up and turn the skin red or swollen.

Many women mistake this for mastitis, which commonly occurs when breast feeding. The thing is, inflammatory breast cancer doesn’t respond to medication or traditional infection treatments. And while it’s not common (affecting 1-6% of women in the United States), it is aggressive.

Common symptoms include redness, pain, swelling, thickened skin, bruising, itchy skin, sudden nipple retraction and warm to the touch nipples. Mammograms and ultrasounds are the imaging of choice for typical breast concerns that involves a lump, however there are no lumps with inflammatory breast cancer so you would need a breast biopsy to confirm it.

Please remember that not all skin changes are breast cancer! You may have mastitis, eczema, recent trauma, allergic reaction, psoriasis, or a candida infection (particularly under your breasts).

Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want women to know about all types of breast cancer. If you experience any breast or nipple changes always call your health care provider, especially if you have been self-treating and it’s not going away.

For more information:

www.cancer.org

www.ibcresearch.org

www.eraseibc.org

Dr. Carrie Jones has practices in Tigard and Sherwood, Oregon where she focuses in all aspects of women's health. She is an adjunct professor at the National College of Natural Medicine, and writes and speaks regularly on the subject of women's medicine.