Breast infection, bruising, swollen nodes

seablue

Hello, I'm posting here for straight talk from the experts.

I've survived cancer three times - ovarian - but I'm concerned about IBC.

Last week I got a breast infection while breastfeeding, but it's not mastitis. One week ago I woke up with a flaming, streaky, red, hot breast infection with no fever or chills. After four days, my OB/GYN examined me and said it was "weird" and "an unusual presentation." By that point the redness was turning to bruises and there was no pain. There are lumps just under the skin of my breast that feel like vericose veins - my OB/GYN said they are swollen lymph nodes. He felt my body's super charged immune system was taking care of the infection on its own.

Today the redness is gone and the bruising is black and yellow. The lumps are still there.

The only other thing to report is that for the past two or three weeks I've had major allergic reactions to a few different things. This only happens when I have inflammation in my body.

Here are my questions:

- Is it possible with IBC to have a flaming red breast with swollen nodes that clears up?

- When you are breastfeeding, is it possible that nursing dissipates the stagnant lymph (leading to a delay in dx)?

 - Does inflammatory breast cancer have a blood tumor marker or a characteristic CBC (e.g., elevated WBCs)?

My ovarian cancer is associated with inflammation. I'm just wondering if I should push for a quick breast biopsy or let this go. I just had a CT of my pelvis and abdomen, but no mammogram (because I'm lactating) and no chest xray.

Many, many thanks!

P.S. I went through surgical menopause six years ago (I got pregnant and am breastfeeding as a post-menopausal woman lol). I don't take HRT.

ibcspouse

Not an expert, but have learned more than I ever wanted to know, and still don't know a lot.  It would be very unusual for the breast to be bright red and then fade to a bruise healing type color.  The "typical color of IBC is Red to a pick/purple that may or may not be blochy..

No breastfeeding would not dissipate the stagnant lymph or edema of IBC...the skin or dermal lymphatics are blocked with tumors so the "inflammation" would not be drained with breast feeding.

The standard blood test is for CA 27.29  needs to be less than 38-40.  Some use CA 15. 

Question,...does you baby have thrush or any oral irritation...

I do hope thay all is b9...you already have been through the cancer wars, and do not need to be drafted into another one.  Keep us informed. 

Herbie and Cam 

seablue

Thanks for your response, Herbie. I'm very relieved to read this!

Tonight I spoke with a friend who is a breast specialist, and she described many other infections of the breast. I was feeling there was nothing between mastitis and IBC, but I was wrong. She also said it could take quite awhile for the lymph nodes to go back to normal.

I'm feeling like I don't have to push for a FNB.

Thanks for the information - I've not heard of the CA 27.29.

 All the best to you and Cam.

mrs_X_Sunneedazee

My IBC presented with a red, swollen, painful breast.  I was breastfeeding at the time, thus I was told it was mastitis.  The affected area kind of faded to a mottled purplish pink color, and as the disease progressed the area of discoloration got bigger and bigger.  It looked like a fresh bruise always, and never faded to yellow etc. like a healing bruise.  My breast also continued to grow larger and harder, and it felt like my breast was engorged.  No milk would come out of the affected breast, either.  

As far as the CA 27.29 I was under the impression that it is used for tracking and diagnosing metastatic breast cancer, and not used for diagnosing the breast cancer itself.  I could be wrong though.

I would keep a close watch, see if the discolored area spreads, or if your swollen lymph nodes persist, then push for an ultrasound or MRI.  I hope that you just have mastitis and not IBC.  That is good that you are being vigilant in searching for answers.  I was clueless, and waited more than a year before I pushed for answers.  I wanted my symptoms to be nothing, and hoped they would just go away.   

Good luck to you!!

ibcspouse

Mrs..X..S

AS almost always, you are right...CA 27.29 is a marker for metastatic breast cancer...but is antigen for breast cancer and can be used to aid with dx in early breast cancer.  In Cam's case, she is having the most progression since dx ,and her  CA 27.29 has dropped from 150+ to 14.  So in her case CTC's work better. 

seablue

Mrs. X - I'm sorry to read your story. Your doctors should have known after one week that it wasn't mastitis, right? How old is your baby now?

I can report that my redness and bruising has progressed towards health and my breast is still lactatating without a problem. They never thought I had mastitis nor did I get a fever or take an antibiotic. My breast healed itself.

I did get a breast ultrasound on Friday and today got a referral to a breast specialist for a biopsy. The remaining lump (all the others disappeared) is complicated. I'm looking forward to having it analyzed, as I've been enjoying being NED.

Best wishes, all ~

seablue

Just an update: by the time I saw the surgeon for the surgical biopsy, the complicated cyst (as it was called after ultrasound) was not palpable, so no biopsy. That was two weeks ago.

Unfortunately, my breast infection is back again, same breast, same look as before, as of yesterday. I have started antibiotics this time. I know that if 10 days of antibiotics don't work, we will begin to rule out breast cancer. I sure hope and pray the antibiotics work!