Cellulitis is a bacterial infection that can affect your skin. Breast cellulitis can develop from broken skin or complications from surgery or cancer treatments. It can cause life threatening complications.

While many females* will go through breast surgery without developing an infection, when breast cellulitis does develop, it can become serious.

For example, in a study involving over 5,000 participants with breast cancer-related lymphedema, 12.7% developed the condition. The mortality rate (chance of dying) for those who did develop it was higher than for those who didn’t, at 34.21% vs. 16.29%, respectively.

Read on to learn about how to identify breast cellulitis, what causes it, and its treatment.

* In this article, we use the term “females” to refer to a person’s sex assigned at birth.

The symptoms of breast cellulitis tend to occur shortly after your skin gets cut or develops breaks. This includes breast cancer surgery and other related incisions. If you have a weakened immune system from cancer treatments, then a simple cut can lead to cellulitis.

  • changes in skin color and swelling
  • tenderness
  • fever
  • chills
  • pain when touched
  • a wound that is oozing clear or yellow fluids
  • rash
  • red streaks developing from the rash

Speak with your doctor immediately if you develop any symptoms that may indicate cellulitis in your breast.

Cellulitis is a type of skin infection that can occur anywhere in the body. It’s a bacterial infection that affects skin tissues just underneath the skin’s surface. Staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus are the two most common types of bacteria that cause cellulitis.

They can cause the infection by getting into exposed cuts. A decreased immune system can also increase your risk of cellulitis.

However, unlike cellulitis in other parts of the body, cuts having the infection don’t usually cause breast cellulitis. Instead, this type of infection tends to occur as a result of cancer treatments or surgeries.

Lymph node removal can weaken your immune system and increase your chance of cellulitis in the upper body, including your breasts. This infection can also occur after breast augmentation or reduction surgeries or from an infected breast implant.

Can inflammatory breast cancer be mistaken for cellulitis?

Inflammatory breast cancer can sometimes cause breast cellulitis. However, these two are separate conditions. Cellulitis of the breasts is sometimes mistaken for inflammatory breast cancer and vice versa.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare form of breast cancer. Symptoms include:

  • skin discoloration or changes in skin color
  • swelling
  • pain

Cellulitis can cause fever or chills, which aren’t symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer.

Consult a doctor as soon as possible so that they can evaluate any significant changes in your breasts and determine the cause.

Cellulitis can be serious because it tends to develop and spread rapidly. Although rare, a life threatening blood infection (septicemia) can develop from cellulitis.

Breast cellulitis may also lead to lymphedema. Lymphedema is a condition where your lymph nodes are unable to drain properly. You may especially be at risk if you’ve had one or more lymph nodes removed.

For this reason, it’s important you see your doctor as soon as possible if you suspect breast cellulitis or notice sudden changes to your breasts.

This can help prevent the infection from getting worse and causing further complications.

Your doctor will first perform a physical exam. Sometimes a blood test can also help your doctor diagnose breast cellulitis.

If, for some reason, you can’t see a doctor right away, seek help from an urgent care center or the emergency room.

Like other forms of cellulitis, breast cellulitis is treated with antibiotics. These are typically taken for at least five days, often longer, to ensure the infection doesn’t return.

What antibiotic your doctor prescribes depends on the type of bacteria that causes the infection. Generally, common antibiotics prescribed for cellulitis include cephalexin and clindamycin. In antibiotic-resistant infections like methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA, your doctor may also prescribe trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

It’s important you take the entire prescription as directed. Your doctor will likely want to see you after a few weeks to ensure the infection clears up.

Ask your doctor if you can take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), to help ease discomfort while the antibiotics run their course.

If you don’t respond to prescription antibiotics, your doctor may recommend intravenous antibiotics given at the hospital.

Once you start taking antibiotics, you should notice a reduction in your symptoms within a few days. If you don’t notice any relief, call your doctor. The initial antibiotic treatment can fail in about 18% of cases of general cellulitis. In this case, your doctor will want to prescribe a different treatment course.

If you have a compromised immune system from cancer treatments, there’s a chance of recurrence of cellulitis. Talk with your doctor about ways you can boost your immunity. They may give you an emergency supply of antibiotics to have on hand in case you develop breast cellulitis again.

When caught and treated early, breast cellulitis has a positive outlook. Left untreated, blood poisoning and death are possible.

Cellulitis is not the only type of skin infection that can affect the breast. Only a doctor can diagnose the type of infection and prescribe the right treatment.

Other possible diagnoses include:

Necrotizing fasciitis is rare, especially in the breasts. However, it’s extremely aggressive and can lead to death. For this reason, it’s a good idea to have any sign of skin infection examined by a doctor.

Cellulitis in the breast typically develops after breast surgery as part of cancer treatment. Though less common, it may occur from a cut or a bug bite. Although rare, it can lead to serious complications if left untreated.

You can help prevent the latter by cleansing and bandaging the affected area. If you get a cut or a bite on your breast, you may be able to use OTC ointments and wraps to ensure it doesn’t turn into cellulitis.

By making a few minor adjustments, you can prevent breast cellulitis from surgery and cancer-related treatments. Ask your doctor about washing the area before any incisions are made and taking antibiotics before or after any procedures as a precaution, especially if you’re more prone to infections.

If you suspect breast cellulitis, call your doctor right away.