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Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare form of breast cancer. The
cancer gets its name because the symptoms are like those of mastitis
(inflammation of the breast) and include redness, tenderness, swelling,
and pain in the breast. However, unlike mastitis, inflammatory breast
cancer does not improve with antibiotic treatment.
Cancer begins when normal cells in the breast begin to change and
grow uncontrollably, forming a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be
benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous, meaning it can spread to
other parts of the body). At some point, cells may break off from the
primary mass and move to other parts of the body in a process called
metastasis.
The breast is mainly composed of fatty tissue. Within this tissue is a
network of lobes, which are made up of tiny, tube-like structures
called lobules that contain milk glands. Tiny ducts connect the glands,
lobules, and lobes, carrying the milk from the lobes to the nipple,
located in the middle of the areola (darker area that surrounds the
nipple of the breast). Blood and lymph vessels run throughout the
breast; blood nourishes the cells, and the lymph system collects fluid
from tissues to return to the blood and carries cells that help fight
infection and disease. The lymph vessels connect to lymph nodes, the
tiny, bean-shaped organs that help fight infection.
In inflammatory breast cancer, the cancer cells block the lymph
vessels within the breast, which causes fluid backup and swelling of the
breast and overlying skin. Because this type of breast cancer can grow
quickly, it is treated with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy,
and chemotherapy; see Treatment for more information.
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