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IBC kills

Covert killer

story Libby Whittemore | photo Ben Mangin

 

Forty-year-old Laura Calappi first heard the words “inflammatory breast cancer” after a 2004 doctor’s appointment in which the appearance of her breast so sincerely baffled her surgeon that he requested permission to take a picture. A few weeks prior, Calappi had discovered a growth on the outside of her breast that she thought might be dermatitis, an ingrown hair, or even a bug bite. A biopsy of the growth, which bled and crusted at times, came back positive for IBC. 

 

Inflammatory Breast Cancer is an acutely aggressive but seldom publicized disease. This rare and elusive cancer variety metastasizes in sheets, or what oncologists call “nests.”  In other words, IBC doesn’t clot in lumps, doesn’t show up in mammograms, and can’t be detected by breast self-examination. And, it’s striking victims as young as sixteen.  

 

IBC comprises less than one percent of all cancer diagnoses, says Dr. Steven Chui, an oncologist at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. Chui sees between six and eight cases every year. Although Calappi is now healthy, she is a statistical minority. “IBC in particular really pisses me off,” Chui says, “because two-thirds of women with IBC will be dead in three years.”

 

 

Warning Signs
Dr. Chui advises women to contact a physician and request a biopsy and an MRI if they experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• Dramatic change in breast size
• Breast becomes warm to the touch
• Nipple indentation and possible discharge
• Change in color of the areola
• An uncharacteristic, persistent itchy sensation
• Acute breast tenderness ranging from a dull ache to shooting pains
• Change in breast skin texture (resembling an orange peel)
• Change in color from fleshy pink to dark red or purple (bruised appearance)

Of course, the above symptoms do not always indicate IBC. Dr. Chui advises women to follow their gut and be aware. If more than one symptom arises, contact a physician immediately. IBC symptoms usually materialize on an accelerated timescale — a few weeks, not months or years.

The Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation provides accurate information about IBC. Don’t hesitate to call them with your questions.

Phone: (877) 465-6636
Web: komen.org