Breast Cancer Rash

A breast cancer rash sometimes forms along with tumors. A rash on your breast does not always mean you have breast cancer.

pay attention

It's something of a truism-always to your body. But this truism is even more important when it comes to breast cancer. In particular, inflammatory or invasive breast cancer.

A rash on the breast can be anything. It could happen from being allergic to the soap you use on your bra. You might also be allergic to the soap you shower with. Or, you might even have an unusual reaction to heat stroke or your own sweat.

It can also be the first warning sign of inflammatory breast cancer, also known as the breast cancer rash

Detection

Inflammatory breast cancer is a particulary fast spreading cancer. It doesn't develop from a tumor or develops from a small tumor that's close to the milk ducts and is hard to detect. Because it's hard to detect in the early stages, inflammatory breast cancer is often cited as being deadlier than normal breast cancer.

If it is detected in the earliest phases, it's as responsive to treatment as regular breast cancer is. Early detection means watching closely any rash on your breast. You should especially look for a rash and thickening of the skin around the nipple

Because a 'breast cancer rash' is an unusual diagnosis, your general doctor may not know what's going on. This is because inflammatory breast cancer makes up less than 3% of all the breast cancer cases reported each year. It is rare.

Physical Signs

"Because it's hard to detect in the early stages, inflammatory breast cancer is often cited as being deadlier than normal breast cancer. If it is detected in the earliest phases, it's as responsive to treatment as regular breast cancer is." The initial problem will probably be with your skin. Your doctor will tell you to change soap or to buy a new bra to deal with skin irritation. This is often the right diagnosis because dermatitis of the breast is much more common than inflammatory breast cancer. But you should go in for a second opinion if symptoms persist.

You should then also consider a mammogram. That's because inflammatory breast cancer is often cited as being deadlier than normal breast cancer,since it is hard to detect in the early stages. But it's as responsive to treatment as regular breast cancer is if it is detected in the earliest phases.

If the rash focuses on only a small area of the breast, it might be more than dermatitis. If your breast swells (more so than it does over the course of your period), it may be a sign. Likewise, if your skin around the swelling darkens, or gets an 'orange peel' texture, tell your doctor. These are all signs of advanced cancers

Earlier signs are tenderness when it's not around your period, dimpling or puckering, or your nipple retracting into the area around it. All of these can be compared to your prior history of breast exams to see if it’s out of the ordinary. Still, it's easy to misdiagnose this as something less serious.

Inflammatory breast cancer happens to women at earlier ages than standard breast cancer does. Most breast cancer patients are women in their 50s and 60s, and inflammatory breast cancer can hit women in their 20s and 30s.

Diagnosis

Because it doesn't give a tell-tale lump at the beginning as an early warning sign, doctors who diagnose inflammatory breast cancer tend to treat it aggressively. Your doctor may want to use both chemotherapy and radiation therapy, because there's not much data to go on. It's better to assume that it's spread and treat accordingly when it is diagnosed, which can be scary.

There is good news. It's becoming possible to detect inflammatory breast cancer and treat it while it's still contained in the milk ducts. When this happens, it's nearly as treatable as standard breast cancer at the same stage. More than 85% of women respond well to treatment. If it's caught later, the 5 year survival rate is a bit lower than normal breast cancer.

Watch for any changes in your body. They may be signs that you're dealing with something a bit more severe than you'd originally thought. If your family has a history of breast cancer and you've got a breast rash, you should be cautious. If that persists after changing soaps and other irritants, try talking to your doctor about inflammatory breast cancer.