概述

炎性乳腺癌是一种罕见类型的乳腺癌,会快速发展,使受影响的乳房发红、肿胀和触痛。

当癌细胞阻塞乳房皮肤中的淋巴管时,就会发生炎性乳腺癌,继而导致乳房特征性的发红和肿胀外观。

炎性乳腺癌被认为是一种局部晚期癌症,这意味着它已经从起源位置扩散到附近的组织,甚至扩散到附近的淋巴结。

炎性乳腺癌很容易与乳房感染相混淆,后者是导致乳房发红和肿胀的更常见原因。如果发现乳房皮肤有变化,请及时就医。

症状

炎性乳腺癌通常不会像其他形式的乳腺癌那样形成肿块。相反,炎性乳腺癌的体征和症状包括:

  • 在几周时间内,一只乳房的外观快速发生变化
  • 一只乳房变重、变厚或明显增大
  • 变色,导致乳房呈现红色、紫色、粉色或淤青
  • 受影响的乳房异常发热
  • 受影响乳房的皮肤出现像橘皮一样的凹陷或皱褶
  • 压痛、疼痛或酸痛
  • 腋下、锁骨上方或锁骨下方的淋巴结肿大
  • 乳头扁平或内翻

这些症状必须在不到六个月内出现,才能确诊炎性乳腺癌。

何时就诊

如果您注意到出现了让您担心的体征或症状,请与医生约诊。

其他更常见的疾病也有类似于炎性乳腺癌的体征和症状。乳房损伤或乳房感染(乳腺炎)可能引起发红、肿胀和疼痛。

炎性乳腺癌很容易与乳房感染相混淆,后者更为常见。最初用抗生素治疗一周或更长时间是合理的,也是常见的治疗方案。如果抗生素对您的症状有效,则无需进行额外的检查。但是,如果发红没有改善,医生可能考虑您的症状是由更严重的原因引起的,如炎性乳腺癌。

如果您接受过乳房感染治疗,但体征和症状持续存在,请联系医生。医生可能会建议进行乳房 X 线检查或其他检查,以评估您的体征和症状。确定您的症状是否由炎性乳腺癌引起的唯一方法是做活检,取出组织样本进行检测。

病因

目前尚不清楚炎性乳腺癌的病因。

但医生知道炎性乳腺癌始于乳腺细胞 DNA 变化。这种细胞往往位于将母乳输送到乳头的管道(输送管)中。但是炎性乳腺癌也可能始于分泌母乳的乳腺组织(乳腺小叶)细胞。

细胞 DNA 包含指示细胞行动的指令。DNA 变化却指示乳腺细胞快速增长、分裂。积聚的异常细胞渗入乳腺皮肤的淋巴管并造成堵塞。这种淋巴管堵塞会导致皮肤红肿、凹陷,这就是炎性乳腺癌的典型体征。

风险因素

导致患炎性乳腺癌风险增加的因素包括:

  • 女性。女性比男性更容易被诊断出炎性乳腺癌,但男性也可能出现炎性乳腺癌。
  • 年轻人。四五十岁的人更容易被诊断出炎性乳腺癌。
  • 黑人。黑人女性比白人女性患炎性乳腺癌的风险更高。
  • 肥胖者。与体重正常者相比,肥胖者更容易患炎性乳腺癌。

Being female

Women are much more likely than men to get breast cancer, including inflammatory breast cancer. Everyone is born with some breast tissue, so anyone can get breast cancer.

Being younger

Inflammatory breast cancer is more frequently diagnosed in people in their 40s and 50s.

Being Black

Black people have a higher risk of inflammatory breast cancer than do white people.

Being obese

People who are obese have a greater risk of inflammatory breast cancer.

预防

Making changes in your daily life may help lower your risk of breast cancer. Try to:

Ask about breast cancer screening

Talk with your doctor or other healthcare professional about when to begin breast cancer screening. Ask about the benefits and risks of screening. Together, you can decide what breast cancer screening tests are right for you.

Become familiar with your breasts through breast self-exam for breast awareness

You may choose to become familiar with your breasts by occasionally inspecting them during a breast self-exam for breast awareness. If you find a new change, lumps or other unusual signs in your breasts, tell a healthcare professional right away.

Breast awareness can't prevent breast cancer. But it may help you to better understand the look and feel of your breasts. This might make it more likely that you'll notice if something changes.

Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all

If you choose to drink, limit the amount of alcohol you drink to no more than one drink a day. For breast cancer prevention, there is no safe amount of alcohol. So if you're very concerned about your breast cancer risk, you may choose to not drink alcohol.

Exercise most days of the week

Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. If you haven't been active lately, ask your healthcare professional whether exercising is OK and start slowly.

Limit hormone therapy during menopause

Combination hormone therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer. Talk with a healthcare professional about the benefits and risks of hormone therapy.

Some people have symptoms during menopause that cause discomfort. These people may decide that the risks of hormone therapy are acceptable to get relief. To reduce the risk of breast cancer, use the lowest dose of hormone therapy possible for the shortest amount of time.

Maintain a healthy weight

If your weight is healthy, work to maintain that weight. If you need to lose weight, ask a healthcare professional about healthy ways to lower your weight. Eat fewer calories and slowly increase the amount you exercise.