inflammatory breast cancer

[rooky4u]

Hi, can ibc rashes come and go? I have had an itchy spot on my left breast that comes and goes and sometimes it appears pink in that spot. Nickel to Quarter in size. It last about two weeks and goes away for awhile. This has been going on for over a year now. It doesn't feel hot to the touch. I do get sharp stabbing pains once in awhile, also those have been going off and on for a long time. My lefty is for dense then my right, not sure if this makes a difference or not. On my right breast I have noticed in the past few days, 3 dark spots about the size of small mosquito bite, but not itchy. I have been having a lot of strange rashes all over my body this spring for some reason, so those don't concern me as much as the left side. I did see my GP last week and told her my concerns. She said that it would have gotten worse at this point (meaning i would now within 1 year) if it was IBC and told me that she suspects contact dermititis or ezcema and told me to use some cortizone cream for a week or two to see if that helps. It does help with the itch and it's not as pink anymore. If just itches once in awhile and also, baby powder seems to help with the itch. Anyone have any insight? Should I be concerned about IBC?

[zouzi]

You welcome and thanks for the update.
I agree with Claudia,that if you continue to have these symptoms and you seem to be obviously worried about it,then the best advice I could give you is to pursue this matter until you are completely assured that IBC is ruled out.
I mentioned in my previous comment that the best way to confirm any suspicion is to have a breast surgeon or a dermatologist perform a skin punch biopsy..An MRI can also be of value but it's a test that is very sensitive and sometimes shows false positive results.
I still think you have a skin problem though...but no one can tell you for sure what's going on and no one knows your breasts better than you do.
Please discuss your concern with your treating doctor or preferably a breast specialist so that more investigation can be done to give you peace of mind.
Take care...

[Claudia413]

If you continue to have these symptoms, I suggest that you try to find a doctor who is familiar with IBC to give you his/her opinion. There are at least 5 or 6 IBC clinics in the US now and more and more doctors are getting educated about IBC daily. Keep in mind that I only had ONE symptom (a slight pink blotchiness on one breast), and I had IBC. It's better to have it ruled out than end up a stage IV. We say, "When in doubt, rule it out" (meaning IBC).

[rooky4u]

I should also mention that my left breast has been very tender around the spot. I am getting ready to start my period and tenderness in that area is nothing new...just wanted to add that...thanks ladies!

[rooky4u]

Good morning ladies :)..just an update since I have been on my steriod cream for almost two weeks (it will be two on Weds). The itching has been gone for almost a week now. The pinkness is gone also. However, i do still have a dark spot (sometimes it appears brown like an old bruise or purple) in the spot that originally itched. It looks like it wants to go away on some days but on others, it looks like it wants to break out again. I didn't use the cream yesterday and after mowing the yard (the girls got bounced around a little lol) the spot is darker. So I put some cream on it. Also I noticed that my right breast starting itching almost in the exact same spot. It is only when I am wearing a bra on that side and only for the first 4 hours or so. Not sure if I should be worried again or not. The spot on the left, in the middle of the brown spot, there looks what appears to be blistering? It's not raised or full of puss or anything, just looks like a scar or a flat blister... I did make another appointment with my doctor's office on Tues morning (this will be with a different doctor) just in case...but am i just being paranoid?

[Claudia413]

Most of the men and women I speak to about IBC have never heard of it, and it really upsets me. Even telemarketers have to listen to my spiel or I won't listen to theirs. LOL.

[rooky4u]

That is wonderful news Claudia! I will say prayers for you as well as all of the other women diagnosed. I plan on still educated myself about IBC as well as spread the word. Most women that I have spoken to about it have never heard of it so it's important to keep everyone informed. Thank you all again!!

[zouzi]

Congratulations Claudia! and best wishes for a long and cancer-free life!
May your dance with Ned never be interrupted.
          
                 ♪♫♪♫♪ Doing the happy dance with you! ♪♫♪♫♪   :)

Blessings!

[Claudia413]

Definitely keep us informed. I know we'd all love to hear that all you have is a dermatologic problem and nothing worse. ((Hugs))

[Claudia413]

zouzi,

I want to thank you for your kind words also and let you know that (at the present time) I am NED (no evidence of disease) and will reach my 5th cancerversary this coming August. Will be praying for continued dancing with NED.  

Claudia

[Claudia413]

bluebutterfly2222,

Thanks so much for the kind words. I've been a volunteer with the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation since 2009 and am now its Vice President. Our mission is to educate the general public and the medical profession about the signs and symptoms of IBC.

Claudia

[rooky4u]

Hi, I think if the spot is still showing on Tues, I will make an appointment to get one. The spot is now a light brown and seems to be doing better. No itchiness today...so I am hopeful! Thanks again, I will let you all know if anything changes!!

[zouzi]

You welcome!
Based upon examination,I am glad to know that also the dermatologist confirmed that it's a skin problem,and not IBC.Keep in mind that if you had this disease it would have spreads quickly and symptoms would have been very obvious.
However make sure you stay on top of it.Since you are still worried about this,you really don't have to wait and you most certainly have a choice! You could ask the Dermatologist to perform a punch biopsy of the skin for your peace of mind.This type of biopsy is the only way to obtain a correct diagnosis.
Take care and hope all turns out well for you. :)

[rooky4u]

Good morning. I went to the dermatologist wednesday and she asked me if I ever felt a lump there. I told her no. She looked at the spot for a minute or so and ran her finger over it. She said she did not see any appearance or texture change so she was comfortable saying it was eczema? She gave me some cream to use. I guess at this point I will just watch it and see if I develop any more symptoms or changes. I will say that it is not as itchy, I don't know if it's because of the cream or not. By the time I went to the appointment the area wasn't pink anymore, just a light brown/tan. So now that's two doctors that said it wasn't IBC. I would still like to see a breast specialist but when I called this week, they want my doctor to refer me but they don't feel that it is necessary, so I guess I don't have a choice but wait. I really appreciate all of your comments, it is comforting to know that there are people willing to take the time out of their day to help others. Thank you all!

[zouzi]

I would like to thank you also as"bluebutterfly2222" did,for the important comment you added.
I should have said "If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above" and not "most of the symptoms" I apologize for this mistake.
Indeed IBC can present with only one symptom.
Thanks again Claudia...and I hope that you are doing well :)

[bluebutterfly2222]

Hi Claudia,

Just want to welcome you to the BC Community and thank you for the important information you have been contributing in regard to IBC!

Regards,
bluebutterfly

[Claudia413]

What you describe doesn't sound like IBC to me either, but I do want to say that I only had ONE symptom, not all of them, when I was diagnosed with IBC in 2007. Therefore, it's not necessary to have all or most of the symptoms of IBC in order to have it.

I'd be interested in hearing how your appt with the dermatologist went and what he/she had to say.  

[rooky4u]

Thank you for your response. I am due to see a dermatologist this coming weds the 6th for some other issues. i will ask her to look at the breast also just to make sure I am not missing something. I am 39 and will start getting my yearly mammo's next feb. I have had 3 in the past few years. First was a baseline, then I had to go for further screening on my lefty (always the left). Had a big scare. After the first scan, I waiting in the waiting room and they came and got me to do another scan on a more specialized machine (smashed it real good). They said it turned out to only be compressed tissue. But still scared me to death. Anyway, thank you very much again for taking the time to respond.

[zouzi]

Hi,
From what you describe,I strongly doubt that the pink spot on your breast has anything to do with IBC.
Inflammatory breast cancer is a very rare type of cancer that would present with rapid, unusual increase in breast size,redness, rash, persistent itching of breast or nipple,lump or thickening of breast tissue,stabbing pain and/or soreness of breast,feverish breast swelling of lymph nodes under the arm or above the collarbone,dimpling or nipple retraction.
The skin of the breast may also show the pitted appearance called peau d'orange (like the skin of an orange).
If you don't have most of the symptoms mentioned above,then it could just be a skin problem that is getting better with medication ..If the pink spot reappears,it would be advisable to see a dermatologist for proper management.The pain you are experiencing in your breast could be caused by many benign conditions,like Fibrocystic breast condition and hormonal fluctuations.Also I would advise you to ask your doctor to order a mammogram or an ultrasound (if that wasn't done yet) to make sure that your breasts are healthy..
All the best..