Home → Symptoms & Diagnosis → Types of Breast Cancer → Ask-the-Expert Conferences: Types of Breast Cancer → October 2006: Inflammatory Breast Cancer → Do IBC symptoms come and go?

Do IBC symptoms come and go?

Page last modified on: October 13, 2008

Question from LionP: Do the symptoms (rash, etc.) of inflammatory breast cancer come and go? I've had breast cancer in my right breast and got a rash in my left breast two years later. It went away but sometimes it still looks like a mild rash is back. My doctor thought it was just a spider bite.: Answers —Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., F.A.C.P.: It's hard to comment without seeing it, but in general terms a rash that is related to the progression of cancer does not come and go, especially over many months and several years. It is unlikely to be related to cancer. There are many other things that can cause a rash on the chest wall, so one would have to place this in context of all other symptoms and circumstances of that rash.; Jennifer Sabol, M.D., F.A.C.S.: It sounds like you have had a previous diagnosis of breast cancer, so you may be connected with a breast surgeon who would probably be in the best situation to evaluate that rash.

On Wednesday, October 18, 2006, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., Thomas Buchholz, M.D., and moderator Jennifer Sabol, M.D. answered your questions about inflammatory breast cancer, a rare but aggressive form of breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, M.D., F.A.C.P. chairs the department of breast medical oncology and directs the Breast Cancer Research Program at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where he also serves as professor of medicine and holds the Nellie B. Connally Chair in Breast Cancer.

Thomas A. Buchholz, M.D. is professor of radiation oncology at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Buchholz' research includes the role of radiation treatment in preventing breast cancer recurrence and whether certain genes may be able to predict how breast cancer responds to treatment.

Jennifer Sabol, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a breast surgeon who directs the newly developed Breast Care Center at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa. Among her many interests, Dr. Sabol spearheads several research initiatives to advance the care for women with breast cancer and improve methods of breast cancer detection and treatment.