EDEMATOUS FORM OF BREAST CANCER

Abstract

By examining the data available in the literature and their findings, the author draws the conclusion that skin and tissue edema in the breast is due to the biological feature of its tumor and the features of lymph and blood circulation in the perifocal area and breast. Primary edema should be considered to mean skin edema without an underlying tumor, which may designed as category T4b and T4d in the TNM classification. Cases of concomitant edema due to universal causes (major tumor resolution, skin tumor ingrowth with ulceration and inflammation) should be referred to as secondary edema. Due to the pronounced features of its development and treatment policy, breast cancer with primary edema should be identified as a separate group (for example, inflammatory cancer has been classified as T4d), rather than be considered with cases of skin ulceration designated the index T4b of Stage IIIB in the international TNM classification.