Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Hi all, I'm currently experiencing some strange symptoms on my left breast. Yesterday morning I woke up with a pain on my left underarm. I did not feel any particular lump but the area just feel painful when I press on it. Today the pain is still there but less painful but instead the area under my left nipple starts to feel painful instead when I press on it. Skin feels harder then other areas and is slightly red (though I'm not too sure if its due to my pressing and worrying the area constantly)It feels lumpish too. Its not unlike the kind of pain when you get when you have a cystic pimple on your face. (No head, just a slight bump but painful when pressed) My period ended last week.

I got paranoid and was planning to visit the doctor, but at this hr all the clinics are closed. So I came online and do some reading on breast cancer. I discovered IBC and got the shock of my life. The symptoms sound rather like what I'm experiencing now particularly the redness and warm part.. but there was no mention of pain and my skin looks normal. I was even more worried to know how fast this kinda cancer, though rare, can spread. I have no history of breast cancer in my family though and I hope I wont be the first.

could someone out there give some opinions on my case? Thanks in advance!

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear inex, When doing self breast exam you are looking/feeling for something that is a change from the usual.  Having it checked by a health care professional is a good idea, as it is difficult/impossible to make an assessment over the internet.  (Inflammatory breast cancer is an uncommon form of breast cancer, with the inflammation you might see with this, you would not be wondering if the redness had be due to pressing and worrying the area, it would be inflammed).

[surgeon]

breast infections are much more common than IBC; also, most of the time the findings aren't subtle, meaning it's fairly obvious. So what you describe is most likely not to be serious. However, it's absolutely essential than any persisting changes in your breast need to be evaluated! There's no way accurately to diagnose anything online.

[inex]

Hallo, thanks for all the feedback. I have been examined by the doctor and he conclude it was an infection and put me on a course of antibiotics. I'll update if I do not recover after medication.

[Joe and Tiff's Mom]

Thank God !

[mitizie]

please stay on top of this. i had the symptons of ibc stared trying to get some help in july of 2000 had two mammograms and three ultrasounds thru oct. was told it was mastitis i was 64 years old. and nothing showed in them. i finally was given a biopsy in nov. with results of two tumors one 10 cm and dignosis of invasive ductual. had a breast removed in dec with 8 lymph nodes positive and another tumor and stage 3 cancer. the year of 2001 was filled with 6moths of chemo and 33 radation treatments so do not take this litely. hope by this time you have good news.
GOD BLESS - MITIZIE