Faint(pink) redness on left breast for 5 months..

VERY unlikely to be IBC! IBC is aggressive and rapid in presentation - literally overnight often/usually. Anything is possible but IBC would be VERY unlikely. It does not ALWAYS present with 'redness/rash' (mine didn't but did progress rapidly - 24 days) but there are MANY possibilities/probabilities for skin issues that have nothing to do with any type if BC.

'Something' is going on and you do need to find out what it is. ( Not all antibiotics 'work' on every infection. The VAST majority who come here with skin issues but having decided (usually 'thanks' to that Quack Dr Google.

Please take the opportunity to ask the breast surgeon whether it has an appearance consistent with Paget's disease or not, and if so, whether further imaging might be warranted. I do not suggest this because of any suspicion, but only because you might read about it, so best to get advice directly on point.


Good luck,


BarredOwl

I would guess...and mind you, I am not in a position to know (you must know that right) as I am not medical and have never seen the spot.....this does not sound like IBC at all to me.

aliciado--maybe it is a heat rash or allergic reaction? Perhaps you can ask a doctor to culture it? I think if it were IBC you would probably know by now but I can understand your frustration about not having a concrete answer about what is causing your symptoms. I hope you get some relief from the redness and from your worries!

Have you reported the lymph node pain and weirdness to your doctors?

A choking sensation in the front of the neck might be caused by a thyroid issue. I had a thyroid nodule about 2.5 cms, and when I tucked my chin down, I felt a choking sensation, like I couldn't breathe. Also when wearing a turtle neck. Tell the doctor about all lymph node observations and request a physical check your thyroid gland area.

Also, can you obtain a mammogram? This may detect disease that is not palpable (when a lump cannot be felt).

BarredOwl

Hi aliciado:

I am glad you will get the thyroid area and neck checked out. I had an ultrasound for my thyroid issue.

Please note that I am not a doctor and have no medical training. There may be no IBC. There may be no breast cancer. I don't know.

It still seems formally possible to me that it could be ordinary breast cancer, with associated Paget's disease (some nipple symptoms). Paget symptoms can be associated with underlying breast cancer, such as DCIS or invasive ductal carcinoma. Some doctors are not very familiar with Paget disease of the breast, because it is not very common. Please read this:

http://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/paget-breast-fa...

I am not sure how old you are [Edit: Sorry, 25 yrs old). Mammography may be less effective in younger women who tend to have more breast tissue density. Density can reduce sensitivity of detection (may miss some disease). Dense tissue appears white by mammography, and may obscure the signs of cancer, which ordinarily appear white against a black background. In other words, you may not be able to see a white flag in a snow storm. Decreased sensitivity is a limitation of the technique, but it is not a reason to deny a person a mammogram.

In fact, my DCIS was diagnosed by mammography despite an "extremely dense" (highest category of density) breast. I would request a mammogram.

If the cost of care is an issue, there may be a local equivalent of the American Cancer Society in your country, that may be able to help you with such issues by directing you to whatever resources may be available for possible mammography screening.

BarredOwl

Hi aliciado:

The above posts suggest that IBC is rapidly evolving in presentation and very rare (but not impossible). The various symptoms been going on for 5-6 months. Breast ultrasound showed nothing. You have been to the dermatologist.

It may not be IBC. I don't know. I am wondering if it is another type of breast condition that may be screen-detectable by mammography. Mammography would seem to be a reasonable step that may identify an issue, and might provide an explanation for continuing symptoms that have not otherwise received a medical diagnosis.

Mammograms may detect issues that are not visible on ultrasound:

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailed...

"Ultrasound has become a valuable tool to use along with mammography because it is widely available and less expensive than other options, such as MRI. Usually, breast ultrasound is used to target a specific area of concern found on the mammogram. Ultrasound helps distinguish between cysts (fluid-filled sacs) and solid masses and sometimes can help tell the difference between benign and cancerous tumors. In someone with a breast tumor, it can also be used to look for enlarged lymph nodes under the arm.

The use of ultrasound instead of mammograms for breast cancer screening is not recommended. However, clinical trials are now looking at the benefits and risks of adding breast ultrasound to screening mammograms in women with dense breasts and a higher risk of breast cancer".

I do not question the use of ultrasound in the first instance, but having received a negative result, I do not understand why a mammogram would not be indicated.

BarredOwl

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Dx Right: ER+PR+ DCIS (5+ cm) with IDC (1.5 mm) and micro-invasion < 1 mm; Grade 2 (IDC); 0/4 nodes.

Dx Left: ER+PR+ DCIS (5+ cm); Grade 2 (majority) and grade 3; isolated tumor cells in 1/1 nodes (pN0i+(sn)).

HI aliciado:

I do not have answers to your questions, and can only make general comments. I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.

Unfortunately, only a trained medical doctor who has conducted a current clinical examination and taken a proper history from you can provide some kind of diagnosis and advise you properly as to the significance (if any) of the pink area.

Your neck nodes have been checked by a doctor and you are now scheduled for a thyroid ultrasound, so that will be evaluated.

MRI is very expensive in the US, so it is often, but not always, preceded by mammography and ultrasound. There may be some cases where MRI would be recommended, but I do not know what those are (and could not know if they would apply in your case or not).

BarredOwl

Aliciando,

Looking over your posts, it doesn't sound like cancer at all, and the Dr's you have seen have confirmed that. Go and enjoy your life.

HUGS....

No, swollen lymph nodes are not alarming.

Swollen lymph nodes can be from many different things. Particularly common are viral infections. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/swol... Viruses cause the common cold, flu, warts. Almost everyone has a herpes virus. Worldwide, ∼90% of people have one or both viruses. HSV-1 is the more prevalent virus, with 65% of persons in the United States having antibodies to HSV-1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK47447/ Toxoplasma infections (a parasite, not a virus) are also very common. More than 60 million men, women, and children in the U.S. carry the Toxoplasma parasite, but very few have symptoms because the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/

I don't know about stress causing swollen lymph nodes, but emotional stress is very hard to measure quantitatively, and of course a certain situation will stress one person out and not another.