But WhyMommy does, and it's a particularly virulent type. She's asked that everyone steal her post about it, to further spread the word, so here goes:
We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the US today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer? I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine. Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn’t clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly. Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out. There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one. Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago. You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.
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Wow. I didn't realize this type of breast cancer existed.
ReplyDeleteHurrah for normal mammograms! Woot!
ReplyDeleteWow....I hope you get better soon. I hear that there are so many new treatments available now for Inflammatory Breast CA. I have been going through something similar. I have had a burning sensation in my left breast for 6 mo now. I went to my OB-GYN and she has blown me off. She says that the Mammo and US are normal other than Fibrocystic Breast diease and there is an almost 3 cm mass which is believed to be a lymph node, but the GYN says this is normal in patients with Fibrocystic Breast. I have also had left shoulder / upper arm pain since the summer and I have been very tired. The GYN said the should pain is probably due to scar tissue from a mole that I had removed last year and that the fatigue is from being a single mom. I asked her about the possiblity that this could be Inflammatory Breast CA and she said that the disease is extreamly rare and that that is not what I have. I got tired of being jerked around and called a Breast Surgeon. When I told the receptionist of my symptoms she said they wanted to see me ASAP. I have an appointment tomorrow. Hopefully I will get some answers tomorrow and have my worries put to rest.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are with everyone who is suffering from any type of breast pain....it is not only uncomfortable but also very stressful.