IBC after lumpectomy?

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cantabrigienne
cantabrigienne Member Posts: 3 Member
in Breast Cancer #1

Hello,

I’m new to this - was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma in August. Had a lumpectomy 4 weeks ago with clear margins and no lymph node involvement. Everything seemed to be healing well until Thursday of this week (exactly 4 weeks after surgery). I woke up with red/swollen breast that was suddenly tender and uncomfortable. Got in to see my surgeon that day, he removed a bunch of fluid via syringe and gave me an antibiotic rx just in case, but seemed a bit perplexed by the sudden symptoms after a month of good healing. It hasn’t improved at all, and I just found a study about how breast surgery can potentially trigger IBC when it wasn’t there before. Now I’m kind of freaking myself out. Does anyone have any experience with this???

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  • cantabrigienne
    cantabrigienne Member Posts: 3 Member
    #2
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    Also, does anyone know how to edit a post? Trying to make a correction and can’t figure it out for the life of me…

  • RocDocVic
    RocDocVic Member Posts: 94 Member
    #3
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/327195/ibc-after-lumpectomy

    What is IBC?

  • LovesPrimes
    LovesPrimes Member Posts: 99 Member
    #4
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    I think IBC is inflammatory breast cancer

  • cantabrigienne
    cantabrigienne Member Posts: 3 Member
    #5
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    Yes, sorry - inflammatory breast cancer! There are a few journal articles discussing cases of IBC emerging as a secondary cancer, triggered by surgery, infection, and other inflammatory events. It freaked me out!

    I did chat with my breast-surgeon-friend today, and she reassured me that it’s extremely rare. But golly, this red & swollen breast, that so far doesn’t seem to be responding to antibiotics, is making me so nervous!

    I suppose this whole diagnosis has revealed some health anxiety that I was previously unaware of… 😭

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