Description

Swelling in one or both breasts can be caused by numerous factors and it is not in fact a common symptom of breast cancer. However, patients who suffer from a specific type of the disease, known as inflammatory breast cancer, may experience breast swelling. Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer, an aggressive form of the condition, include breast swelling or edema, and redness or erythema, which is noticeable in a third or more of the breast. “These symptoms are caused by the buildup of fluid (lymph) in the skin of the breast. This fluid buildup occurs because cancer cells have blocked lymph vessels in the skin, preventing the normal flow of lymph through the tissue. Sometimes the breast may contain a solid tumor that can be felt during a physical exam, but more often a tumor cannot be felt,” explain the National Cancer Institute.