Rare, but Deadly Inflammatory Breast Cancer Can Escape Detection.

Byline: Mary Jo Layton

Apr. 27--Melissa Bruchman and her sisters are well-versed in breast cancer detection: monthly self-exams, regular visits to the gynecologist, and annual mammograms to spot tumors.

Yet none of the precautions helped Bruchman, who nearly died from a rare and extremely aggressive type of breast cancer known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

The disease, one of the deadliest types of cancer, often develops without forming a tumor, making it nearly impossible to detect in routine diagnostic tests.

The symptoms are a red rash on the breast that can be hot to the touch, painful or swollen breasts, or even a bruise.

Too often, the cancer is misdiagnosed as a breast infection. Doctors mistakenly prescribe antibiotics while the cancer thrives, undetected for weeks or months. In fact, women with this cancer are typically diagnosed when they are in Stage 3, just a step away from the most fatal phase when the disease has spread to other organs and is considered incurable.

Not all cases of breast cancer are detected when a lump is discovered by a woman or revealed in a mammogram. In cases of inflammatory breast cancer, a tumor is rarely found. Here are the symptoms women should look for to recognize this rare but extremely aggressive cancer: