Inverted Nipple: Scar Tissue from Mastitis or Breast Cancer?

Dear Liz,

You are very sensible to have made a follow-up appointment. Mastitis symptoms are the same as a rare form of cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Only 5% of the 1 in 8 women who get breast cancer will have this form of the disease, so the statistics are in your favour.

You don't mention whether you have any other symptoms such as tingling of the nipple, general redness and swelling of the breast and tenderness of the breast. I am currently being treated for IBC and that is how mine started. You should rule it out and do ask about it at your appointment.

There is also a simple test that I stumbled across on the internet. Take a good pinch of flesh on the breast that is worrying you. If the flesh that you are holding between your index finger and thumb falls into lines like your other breast - good. If the flesh you are holding resembles orange peel, then it is definitely time to investigate further. I would never attempt to diagnose myself or another person - that is the doctor's job - but this is one way you can be alert to the need to see a doctor.

I hope everything turns out OK for you and that you let us all know how you got on.

Hi Liz - I'm glad you've had both a mammogram and ultrasound; kudos to you for being proactive here. An inverted nipple can indeed be a symptom of breast cancer, so I think your best bet would be to go back and ask for a referral to a breast specialist. You want to find out exactly what's causing this, since it seems to be progressing, not getting better. It might be from the mastitis, as you said; or some other cause. But I think you'll sleep better if you know exactly what's causing it. Good luck - PJH