Cancer advocate Deborah J. Cornwall published an article on the Huffington Post at the start of February telling the story of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) patient Barbara Popoli. The story highlights how little is known about the disease, and moreover, how infrequently it is addressed when discussing issues of cancer. Cornwall described the sudden and rapid onset that Popoli experienced, having one day noticed a breast skin rash where her breast was “swollen, red, and hot”, which are symptoms that she, as is the case with all too many people in the United States, had no idea were indications of breast cancer.
The article, cleverly titled Hey, Pink Ribbons: You Missed This One!, will hopefully bring some much needed attention about IBC from the cancer awareness community. Up until recently, little has been known by the public about the disease, presumably due, at least partially, to the fact that only 1-5% of breast cancer patients per year are diagnosed with it.
As a result, the common assumption is that the only way to detect breast cancer is by locating a lump in the breast. While this is indeed a symptom for breast cancer in its most common form, it is not how one detects IBC, which typically is only discovered in the cancer’s later and more damaging stages.
Due to a lack of dialogue, there has been a lack of research and thus a lack of knowledge on the topic. This has been at the expense of hundreds to thousands of women each year like Mrs. Barbara Popoli, who before her diagnosis led a regimented and healthy lifestyle with a handsome husband and a successful career as a business executive.
One of the worst side effects of this particular form of cancer is the breast rash, which can appear on and around the nipple as well as beneath the breast. Due to continual rubbing either from the breast itself or from blouses and bras, the breast skin rash remains in a perpetual state of irritation. Only now has the BreastComfort Sling removed this one burden from women’s lives.
As a general rule of thumb, be sure to stay aware of any and all abnormalities to your breasts and keep in contact with your doctor. You can learn more about IBC here. If you are experiencing discomfort for any reason, be it due to a breast skin rash from IBC or otherwise, the BreastComfort Sling will put that irritable rubbing sensation at ease.
The BreastComfort Sling is designed to remove all chafing or irritable sensations beneath the breast. Women who have especially large breasts as well as women who are battling inflammatory breast cancer and have a rash either from the disease itself or the treatment can experience tremendous relief with the BreastComfort Sling. For more info, contact us here.
