Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer can vary. They may include changes in the size, shape, or skin of the breast. Changes to the nipple may also be a sign.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare type of breast cancer that affects the skin of the breast and, therefore, causes the breast to appear inflamed.

This article details the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer. It examines which symptoms are more common, which develop quickly, and how inflammatory breast cancer can differ from other breast cancers. It also outlines the outlook for people with this type of breast cancer.

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According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), inflammatory breast cancer can cause a range of symptoms. They include:

  • swelling of the skin of the breast
  • discoloration of over one-third of the skin of the breast
  • pitting or thickening of the skin of the breast, which may make it look or feel like an orange peel
  • retraction or inversion of the nipple
  • a breast that looks larger than the other due to swelling
  • a breast that feels warmer and heavier than the other
  • a breast that feels tender, itchy, or painful

Some people may also have swollen lymph nodes either under the arms or close to the collarbone.

Can the symptoms come and go?

There is no evidence that the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer tend to come and go.

However, certain symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer may undergo phases of being more or less severe. Research states that this may happen with discoloration of the skin of the breast.

Inflammatory breast cancer symptoms tend to develop quickly. Experts consider the sudden onset of symptoms as a hallmark of this type of breast cancer. However, no evidence suggests some symptoms occur faster than others.

Some symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer are important for diagnosis. These include:

  • thickening or swelling of the skin of the breast
  • swelling of the breast
  • discoloration of the skin of the breast
  • retraction or inversion of the nipple

Inflammatory breast cancer can cause pain in the breast, which may feel tender. Additionally, some people with this disease may feel a burning pain.

Unlike typical breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer does not typically cause a lump in the breast.

Additionally, typical breast cancer can cause skin flaking around the breast and unusual nipple discharge. However, these symptoms are not typical of inflammatory breast cancer.

Anyone with symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer needs to make an appointment with a healthcare professional.

Swelling of the breast and nipple inversion are two particularly concerning symptoms that require immediate consultation with a doctor.

Around 33% of the time, patients with inflammatory breast cancer present with a disease that has already spread to other distant organs. Because late diagnosis is common, inflammatory breast cancer can be challenging to treat.

Data suggests that between 1% and 6% of breast cancers are inflammatory.

However, a 2023 review notes that roughly 7% of breast cancer deaths are due to inflammatory breast cancer. According to the ACS, the 5-year survival rate for inflammatory breast cancer is roughly 39%.

Inflammatory breast cancer draws its name from its symptoms, which mimic those of breast inflammation.

Some of the core symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer are thickening or swelling of the skin of the breast, swelling of the breast, and discoloration of the skin of the breast. Retraction or inversion of the nipple is also an important symptom. Unlike other forms of breast cancer, it is rare for breast lumps to arise.

The symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer usually develop quickly across 6 months. Because inflammatory breast cancer is a very aggressive form of the disease, early diagnosis and treatment can be challenging.