Inflammatory breast cancer is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Inflammatory breast cancer, or a subtype of Inflammatory breast cancer, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
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The cause of breast cancer isn't known, but its high incidence in women implicates estrogen.
Certain predisposing factors are clear; women at high risk include those who have a family history of breast cancer, particularly first-degree relatives (mother, sister, and maternal aunt).
Other women at high risk include those who:
❑have long menstrual cycles or began menses early (before age 12) or menopause late (after age 55)
❑have taken hormonal contraceptives
❑used hormone replacement therapy for more than 5 years
❑who took diethylstilbestrol to prevent miscarriage
❑have never been pregnant
❑were first pregnant after age 30
❑have had unilateral breast cancer
❑have had ovarian cancer — particularly at a young age
❑were exposed to low-level ionizing radiation.
Recently, scientists have discovered the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Mutations in these genes are thought to be responsible for less than 10% of breast cancers. However, these discoveries have made genetic predisposition testing an option for women at high risk for breast cancer.
Women at lower risk include those who:
❑were pregnant before age 20
❑have had multiple pregnancies
❑are Native American or Asian.
Most breast cancer deaths occur in women age 50 and older (84% of cases), and 77% of new breast cancer cases occur in this age-group. However, it may develop any time after puberty. It occurs in men, but rarely; male cases of breast cancer account for less than 1% of all cases.
The 5-year survival rate for localized breast cancer has improved because of earlier diagnosis and the variety of treatments now available. According to the most recent data, mortality rates continue to decline in White women and, for the first time, are also declining in younger Black women. Lymph node involvement is the most valuable prognostic predictor. With adjuvant therapy, 70% to 75% of women with negative nodes will survive 10 years or more compared with 20% to 25% of women with positive nodes.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
The term 'prevalence' of Inflammatory breast cancer usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Inflammatory breast cancer at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Inflammatory breast cancer refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Inflammatory breast cancer diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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