The Silent Breast Cancer
By: Neile Jones
Updated: October 10, 2007
Natalie McCroy had a mammogram and in her words, "Everything came back clear. So I thought, great no problem."
Natalie would soon learn she was wrong
According to Natalie, "I still had one area of skin that was still kind of an orange peel in appearance. It wasn't quite normal and they suggested I follow up with my Doctor, but it didn't seem like such a priority because I'd had the clear mammogram"
But even after a mammogram and ultrasound Natalie still found herself with a nagging suspicion.
Her husband Randy says, " She felt like something wasn't right. So, I told her to go ahead and do what she felt was right."
Natalie describes her symptoms like this, " If you peeled off a chunk of orange and glued it right onto your skin, thats about what it looked like"
Dr. Steven Harms with The Breast Center of Northwest Arkansas says when I.B.C. shows up it's very serious.
Dr. Harms says. "These are often silent tumors in that people are lead astray with clinical symptoms that they may have an infection and in fact they have a very bad cancer"
Natalie followed up with her Doctor. Eventually, she would have biopsies.
She says those biopsies showed she had breast cancer. Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Doctor Harms says to look for some of these signs and symptoms,
"You get a skin condition. A redness, and swelling. Sometimes it's hot to the touch and looks like an infection but doesn't respond to antibiotic. Thats a serious condition you need to get worked up by a professional."
Natalie is now in the middle of treatment and optimistic about the future.
Natalie would soon learn she was wrong
According to Natalie, "I still had one area of skin that was still kind of an orange peel in appearance. It wasn't quite normal and they suggested I follow up with my Doctor, but it didn't seem like such a priority because I'd had the clear mammogram"
But even after a mammogram and ultrasound Natalie still found herself with a nagging suspicion.
Her husband Randy says, " She felt like something wasn't right. So, I told her to go ahead and do what she felt was right."
Natalie describes her symptoms like this, " If you peeled off a chunk of orange and glued it right onto your skin, thats about what it looked like"
Dr. Steven Harms with The Breast Center of Northwest Arkansas says when I.B.C. shows up it's very serious.
Dr. Harms says. "These are often silent tumors in that people are lead astray with clinical symptoms that they may have an infection and in fact they have a very bad cancer"
Natalie followed up with her Doctor. Eventually, she would have biopsies.
She says those biopsies showed she had breast cancer. Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Doctor Harms says to look for some of these signs and symptoms,
"You get a skin condition. A redness, and swelling. Sometimes it's hot to the touch and looks like an infection but doesn't respond to antibiotic. Thats a serious condition you need to get worked up by a professional."
Natalie is now in the middle of treatment and optimistic about the future.
