Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Hormone Receptor Status

• Certain proteins that fuel cancer growth may be present when inflammatory breast cancer occurs. The hormone receptor status of your breast cancer determines the best approach to treatment. Aggressive hormone-positive, HER2, and triple-negative breast cancers are more likely to occur in Inflammatory breast cancer. Your doctor will perform several tests to determine if your cancer is:

  • Estrogen receptor positive (ER+)

  • Progesterone receptor positive (PR+)

  • HER2 positive (HER2 is a specific protein)

  • Hormone receptor-positive (estrogen and progesterone are present)

  • Triple-negative (estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 are not present)

Metastatic Inflammatory Breast Cancer

• If cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it is called metastatic breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer can spread quickly. Seek care from a specialist if inflammatory breast cancer symptoms last longer than one week.

Recurrent Inflammatory Breast Cancer

• Inflammatory breast cancer can return at any time. Scheduling regular follow-up appointments for exams and imaging with an inflammatory breast cancer specialist can ensure recurring breast cancer is caught early and treated immediately.

Diagnosing Inflammatory Breast Cancer

• Your oncologist will perform a physical exam, request tests, and perform a skin punch biopsy of the breast tissue to identify subtypes, determine the stage of your cancer (how much cancer is present), and whether the cancer has spread. A diagnosis takes into consideration your symptoms, risk factors such as age (it is more common in younger women), health status, ethnicity (it is more common in Black women), previous cancer diagnoses, and test results.

• Physical Exam

  • Your doctor will examine your breast and surrounding lymph nodes.

• Blood Tests

  • Lab work may be ordered to look for tumor proteins when metastatic breast cancer is present.

• Skin Punch Breast Biopsy

  • A skin punch biopsy removes breast skin and tissue for examination under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.

• Digital Mammography, Ultrasound and MRI

  • Mammography, ultrasound, and/or MRI may be used to determine if the cancer is in the lymph nodes.

• PET Scan

  • PET-CT or CT and a bone scan can also determine if cancer has spread to other parts of the body. This is particularly important in people with metastatic or recurrent breast cancer.