0 October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month ... Phone a Friend

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I am starting a

PHONE A FRIEND CAMPAIGN

Please phone (or email) one friend and remind them to make an appointment to get their mammogram. If everyone just phones one friend, think of the impact we can make!! And while you're at it, please also ask them to read this blog and pass the word along about IBC.

We all read the news articles about strides that are being made in breast cancer research. You are diligent about your yearly mammogram and you check for lumps, so you think you have done everything you can do to detect breast cancer early.

But did you know there is a breast cancer that it typically strikes younger women? Did you know there usually is not a lump and it probably will not show up on a mammogram? Did you know it is often misdiagnosed?

It is called Inflammatory Breast Cancer otherwise know as IBC. It is a rare form of breast cancer (less than 5 percent of cases), but it is extremely aggressive. It occurs in the lymphatic vessels in the breast, where tumor cells block the vessels and cause swelling. The breast may appear discolored, warm and swollen, and larger than the other breast. The skin may have the texture of an orange peel. The nipple may be inverted. IBC can develop quickly, sometimes within weeks, and it is sometimes misdiagnosed as a breast infection called mastitis.

If you have any of these symptoms see your health care professional immediately. Always consult your health care professional about any unusual changes or symptoms to your breasts. If you are treated for a breast infection and see no changes after a week; be diligent - go back to your doctor and insist on further testing.

….and also please note, that although it's important to be aware of possible IBC symptoms, remember that it is rare and most other breast cancers are still identified through mammograms. So continue to get your regular mammograms. Pay attention to changes in your breasts and take good care of yourself. Please phone just one friend today and tell them about this….the life you save may be of someone you love.

Many, many blessings to all, Jan

* Please note this blog is not written by health care professional, just a mother of a survivor of IBC whose main reason for writing is to get the word out about IBC.