Is there a difference between inflammatory breast cancer and invasive breast cancer?

Yes: Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive subtype of invasive breast cancer, characterized by the spread of cancer cells into the lymphatics of the skin of the breast, giving the breast the appearance of an infection. Thankfully, this cancer is often very sensitive to chemotherapy. Treatment is directed at chemo first followed by mastectomy and then radiation therapy.

Pathology: Inflammatory breast cancer is a form of invasive cancer. It is rare and very aggressive disease in which cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. This type of breast cancer is called “inflammatory” because the breast often looks swollen and red, or “inflamed.”.