One out of every eight women will receive the news that they have breast cancer at some point in there lives. As horrible as that statistic is, there is more to be aware of when it comes to breast cancer. Most of us believe there is but one form of breast cancer that can affect us, that is simply not the case.

Inflammatory breast cancer is all too often misdiagnosed as mastitis because few doctors are aware of the symptoms and it looks so much like a simple case of mastitis. However, a misdiagnosis can be deadly for this aggressive form of breast cancer. Although It is still considered a rare form of cancer, over 100,000 U.S. women currently have inflammatory breast cancer, the survival rate is estimated to be about 5 years.

While monthly self checks are a vital part of your routine, so is being aware of inflammatory breast cancer. The symptoms include a red, hot breasts and a change in the appearance of the breast skin. If you have any concerns at all that you might be affected by this, contact your physician immediately and bring up the possibility of your problems being more than mastitis. This form of breast cancer cannot be detected by a mammogram, but a simple punch biopsy can determine whether or not you need antibiotics for mastitis or something more for a breast cancer diagnosis.

For more information please read this post from Toddler Planet. The author was recently diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, she is looking to get the word out to help other women who might be in the same situation.