Inflammatory breast cancer, often abbreviated IBC, is a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer that differs from typical cancers of the breast. Unlike the more common ductal and lobular breast tumors, IBC does not produce any lumps or masses in the breast. Rather, IBC manifests as changes in the skin of the breast, which often becomes red, thick and pitted like the skin of an orange. The exact causes of IBC are not known. Certain factors are known to contribute to IBC onset.
Female Hormones
It is possible for men to develop inflammatory breast cancer, but the vast majority of IBC cases occur in women. While the exact causes of inflammatory breast cancer are unknown, female hormonal factors are known to have a role in developing inflammatory breast cancer. While IBC is different from more typical cancer of the breast such as ductal carcinomas, some IBC tumors will respond to hormonal therapies used in the treatment of the more common breast tumor types. The MD Anderson Cancer Center explains that like other tumors of the breast, IBC tumors will also be analyzed for hormone receptor status to determine which therapies may be most effective.
Race
Race plays a mysterious role in IBC development. Black women are more likely to develop IBC than white women. Black women with IBC are also more likely to die from IBC complications than white women with IBC. It was originally thought that socioeconomic conditions could explain this difference in mortality, but a 2005 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute explains that ethnic variations in survival rates still differ in situations where white and black women have equal access to treatments for IBC.
Age
It is possible for women of any age to develop inflammatory breast cancer. IBC, like other cancers, however, is more likely to occur in older individuals. Certain genetic mutations are likely involved in the onset of IBC. Since it takes time for such mutations to occur, older women are more likely to develop such mutations. According to the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the average age for IBC onset in women is 56, while more typical breast cancers have an average onset age of 62.
