I have always wondered if I might have had IBC also. I was diagnosed IDC Stage IIB/IIIA because I had 2 IDC tumors in the left breast- one 1.5 mm and one 0.7 mm. There was also a focus of 8mm IDC in the skin superior to the tumor. This tumor appeared to be in the lymphatic spaces, but did not extend to the epidermis. The path report also describes the IDC tumors "approxiamately 50% of the tumor is in situ with a comedo pattern displaying high grade nuclear atypia."
This all makes me suspicious along with my inital complaint of a tender thickening of the breast and some nipple burning. But there was documantation of "no involvement of nipple, areola or dermal lymphatics."
When specifically asked, my surgeon said it was not IBC. I did not ask oncologist. Path report says IDC and DCIS with cells arranged in strands and solid nests with less than 10% luminal differentiation. I guess it is all semantics- I went full blast with treatment.
I have been searching articles on the specifications for IBC diagnosis. Looks like there are still some discerpancies. I have read before that a tumor emboli in the dermal lymphatics does not warrant a higher stage in the absence of clinical symptoms of IBC (peau d' orange, edema over 1/2 breast, skin thickening, etc.) But some articles say any dermal invaion should be considered inflammatory.
The best I could find today:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q..._uids=14735481
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