Inflammatory Breast Cancer: The Truth Behind the Myth

Sept. 18, 2006 — -- For several years, stories have appeared on the Internet about a breast cancer that "your doctor may miss." The stories, which were featured on KOMO-TV in Seattle, have generated more than 10 million hits on KOMO's Web site, according to the station.

Called inflammatory breast cancer, its symptoms differ from those of the more typical form of breast cancer, which means it's sometimes missed or misdiagnosed in many women, although cancer specialists have become aware of it.

The stories have obviously struck an emotional cord with women, and cancer specialists say they have been bombarded with questions.

"I have been interviewed by local Fox TV and several radio stations regarding this one news story and the reaction to it on the Internet," said Dr. Anthony Elais at the University of Colorado.

Lillie Shockney, a nurse at the Avon Foundation Breast Center at Johns Hopkins, has received a similar response from women.

"I receive at least 10 to 15 e-mails a day ... frightened they may have this type of cancer," she said.

Breast cancer experts, however, say that these stories needlessly frighten women, who may see only one story or just get partial information.

"This is based on an Internet rumor that has been going around for years," said Dr. Susan Love, director of the UCLA Breast Center and author of several books on breast cancer.

For women, breast cancer is frightening enough, but because the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer differ from those of typical breast cancer, women with this form of the disease might wait to go to their doctor, and many times it is not diagnosed until the cancer has spread.

Its symptoms can often be mistaken for common, benign breast problems.

The cancer is characterized by thickening and redness of the breast, and the cancer grows more rapidly in younger women than other forms of the disease. The thickening of the skin of the breast is often said to look like the skin of an orange.