Most women unaware of signs of aggressive breast cancer form
Most women are unaware of the unusual symptoms of a particularly aggressive and deadly form of the disease known as inflammatory breast cancer, says a new US-based survey.
The survey, which was conducted online among 1,100 US women ages 18 and older, revealed that while 4 in 5 women (78%) recognize a lump in the breast as a sign of breast cancer, less than half of women would flag redness of the breast (44%), pitting thickening of the skin (44%), or one breast feeling warmer or heavier than the other (34%) as possible symptoms of breast cancer, specifically, the rare as highly aggressive form of the disease known as inflammatory breast cancer.
“Women should know that radical changes to the breast are not common, and breast self0 exams are still very important. Some 50 % of inflammatory breast cancers are diagnosed as stages 4 disease”, said researcher Ko Un Park from the Ohio State University.
The disease can occur in any part of the breast and in any molecular sub-form of the disease. It is often misdiagnosed because it mimics symptoms similar to a breast infection. Those signs include an orange peel-like texture or dimpling of the skin, feeling of heaviness, lightening of the skin, engorgement or the breast and infection-like redness.
Park noted that even in the medical community, physicians and providers are not accustomed to thinking about a red breast as a sign associated with inflammatory breast cancer ir because it is such a rare disease.
Although inflammatory breast cancer only represents 1% to 5% of all breast cancers in the United States, it is a sneaky disease and challenging to diagnose,” Park said,
It is critical that clinicians have a high level of familiarity with its subtle signs, and be prepared to take immediate action to avoid belated diagnosis” Park added.