The IBC Network Foundation Canada

Home
Canada
York, ON
The IBC Network Foundation Canada

Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Fund Research, Educate and Support
No Lump, Still Cancer
Together we CAN!

10/13/2026

Stage IV IBC is not a footnote.

Metastatic disease is a significant part of the inflammatory breast cancer story. Research has consistently found that roughly 30% of people with newly diagnosed IBC already have distant metastases at diagnosis.

But numbers only tell part of it.

Looking okay doesn’t mean you’re okay.

People living with Stage IV IBC may be parenting, working, travelling, laughing, making plans and
showing up for life — while also managing treatment, side effects, scans, pain, fear and uncertainty.

And unlike the familiar cancer story of treatment followed by “moving on,” there may not be a finish line.

Treatment can continue indefinitely.
That means Stage IV patients need more than awareness.

We need more IBC-specific research. More metastatic research. Better treatments. Better data. More education. And better support for quality of life while people are living in treatment.
Because metastatic IBC should not become a smaller footnote inside an already rare disease.

We need more time. And better life in that time.
This Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, help us Carve Out the Footnote.

🧡 Carve Out the Myths. Peel Back the Silence.

Source credit: Published IBC reviews report distant metastases at diagnosis in approximately 30% of
newly diagnosed patients.

10/10/2026

“If it hurts, it’s not breast cancer.”

It may be meant as reassurance. But pain is not a reliable way to rule out cancer.

Most breast pain has other causes. IBC, however, can cause pain alongside other breast changes.

If someone tells you their breast hurts and something has changed, encourage them to get it assessed.

Share this to help correct advice someone else may be relying on.

Carve Out the Myths. Peel Back the Silence. 🧡

10/09/2026

This October, Carve Out IBC in the way that makes sense for you.

Carve. Speak. Connect. Wear. Share. Give.

You do not need to do everything. Pick one action and help make inflammatory breast cancer harder to miss.

Carve or decorate a pumpkin (a real one or get creative!) and tell us why you’re Carving Out IBC. Tag us and use so we can share it.

No pumpkin? Tell your story. Share an IBC fact. Wear orange. Start a conversation. Connect us with your clinic or community to arrange a webinar or education session. Support the work if you’re able.

Awareness should lead somewhere.

Carve Out the Myths. Peel Back the Silence. 🧡
Together we CAN.

10/08/2026

Mastitis is common. IBC is rare. That’s exactly why it can be missed.

Redness. Swelling. Warmth. Tenderness.

Those symptoms can absolutely be mastitis - especially while breastfeeding.
But inflammatory breast cancer can look very similar.

If you’re being treated for mastitis and your breast isn’t improving, is getting worse, or the affected area is getting larger, contact your healthcare provider for prompt reassessment.

“It’s mastitis” should NOT be the end of the conversation when the symptoms aren’t behaving like mastitis.

Pregnant, breastfeeding or postpartum? Save this.
Know someone who is? Send it to them.

Because sometimes the most important thing you can know is when to ask again.

🎃 Carve Out the Myths. Peel Back the Silence.

Sources: IBC Network Foundation Canada; Canadian Cancer Society; My Health Alberta.

10/07/2026

Today is International FLAT Day. 🧡

For some people, going flat after mastectomy is an intentional choice. For others, being flat may be part of treatment, something temporary, or simply where they are right now.

There is no one right way for a body to look after mastectomy.

For people affected by inflammatory breast cancer, this conversation matters. Mastectomy is a standard part of treatment for many people with IBC, and decisions about reconstruction, remaining flat and what comes next can be deeply personal.

So today, we’re carving out another idea that doesn’t belong:

That there is one “right” way to look or feel after mastectomy.

People deserve clear information about their options.
They deserve to have their choices respected.
And they deserve to see bodies like theirs represented in breast cancer awareness.

Flat is valid. Reconstruction is valid. Changing your mind is valid.

What matters is informed choice, good care and respect for the person living in that body.

If you’re comfortable sharing, what do you wish more people understood about going flat after mastectomy?

Or share this with someone who needs the reminder that there is no one “right” way to look after mastectomy.

🧡 Carve Out the Myths. Peel Back the Silence.

10/04/2026

Today is Inflammatory Breast Cancer Awareness Day. 🧡

After spending the last few days in Houston at the Ultimate IBC Meet-Up and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, surrounded by patients, researchers, clinicians and advocates, today feels particularly meaningful.

These gatherings are a reminder of just how much has changed because people have dedicated their lives, their expertise and their voices to improving outcomes for those affected by inflammatory breast cancer.

There is progress worth celebrating. Important research is happening. Our understanding of IBC continues to grow. And patients and advocates are helping shape the conversations about what needs to happen next.

But there is still so much more we need to carve out.

The myths about what breast cancer is supposed to look like.
The silence around what patients actually experience.
The gaps in recognition and education.
The barriers to better research, care and outcomes.

That's what Carve Out IBC 2026 is about.

Throughout October, we'll celebrate the progress, confront the challenges, amplify patient voices and share ways we can all contribute to Carving Out a Future Without IBC.

Wear orange today, share this post, and help us bring inflammatory breast cancer into more conversations. 🧡

Carve Out the Myths. Peel Back the Silence.

Together we CAN. 🧡

10/01/2026

🧡 Feel It on the First 🧡

It takes just a moment to know your normal.

Today, take time to check in with your body. Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) doesn’t usually show up as a lump — instead, look for red flags like:

Redness or rash that doesn’t go away

Swelling in the breast or armpit

Thickened skin or “peau d’orange” (orange peel texture)

Sudden changes in size, shape, or feel

IBC can’t wait. Early recognition and urgent treatment matter.

📌 Mark your calendar: check every 1st of the month and remind a friend to do the same.

09/30/2026

What does breast density have to do with inflammatory breast cancer?

There is an important reason we’re talking about both today.
Breast density affects what a mammogram can see.

Dense breast tissue appears white on a mammogram. Many breast cancers appear white too, which means cancer can be harder to distinguish from the surrounding tissue. Mammography is therefore more likely to miss cancer in people with dense breasts.

And inflammatory breast cancer creates its own challenge.
IBC often doesn’t form the distinct lump people commonly associate with breast cancer, develops rapidly and may not be visible on a mammogram.

Different reasons. Same important reminder: a mammogram cannot always tell the whole story.

That doesn’t make mammography less important. It means we also need people to understand its limitations (and to recognize when symptoms deserve further investigation).

On , know your breast density.
And know the signs of IBC.

If your breast becomes rapidly red or discoloured, swollen, warm, enlarged, heavy or develops peau d’orange or other significant changes, those symptoms matter- even when there is no lump.

Know your density. Know your body. Know IBC. 🧡

09/28/2026

“Breathe in this moment, it is the only moment.”

These were words Heather often shared with her music students, and they seem especially meaningful today.

Heather was a musician, teacher, choir director, triathlete and loving wife to Suzanne. She had a wonderful sense of humour, a deep faith and a gift for touching the lives of those around her. She even called her cancer blog The Bald and the Boobless, sharing her experiences with honesty, humour and hope.

Heather passed away at just 46, four years after being diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer.

Last year, Suzanne shared their beautiful story and the song You Carry Me with our community. Today, on Heather's birthday, we're remembering the woman behind that story. Her music, her laughter, the love she shared and the countless lives she touched.

Thinking of you today, Suzanne, and remembering Heather with love. 🧡

09/27/2026

ONE WEEK until IBC Awareness Day! 🧡

Different bodies. Different stories. Different breast cancer.

On October 4, people around the world will come together to raise awareness for inflammatory breast cancer — a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that too many people still don't know exists.

Here in Canada, we're asking you to help us turn October 4 ORANGE!

🧡 Wear orange.
🧡 Share the signs and symptoms of IBC.
🧡 Tell someone what inflammatory breast cancer is.
🧡 Share our posts and help this information reach someone who may need it.

Wearing orange starts the conversation. Sharing the signs and symptoms could help someone recognize IBC sooner.

This October 4, help us make sure more people know what inflammatory breast cancer looks like.

Save the date. Wear orange. Spread the word.

Together we CAN. 🧡

Address

26 Homer Avenue
York, ON
M6N2N3

Website

https://ibcnetworkcanada.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The IBC Network Foundation Canada posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to The IBC Network Foundation Canada:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in York?