New Medical Codes Promoting Better Breast Cancer Care Treatment For Black Women

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an uncommon yet aggressive form of the disease that is frequently misdiagnosed. A significant development on October 1, 2025, will introduce three new medical codes specifically designed for IBC, enhancing patient care. These codes, part of the ICD-10-CM system, will streamline diagnoses, facilitate insurance approvals, and allow for improved tracking of this unique cancer.Victoria Smart, Senior Vice President at Susan G. Komen®, highlighted the efforts over nearly ten years to improve IBC recognition. Unlike traditional breast cancers, IBC manifests through skin changes rather than lumps, making diagnosis challenging. Symptoms often mimic infections, complicating timely treatment.The creation of these codes emerged from the IBC Collaborative, founded by Susan G. Komen®, the IBC Research Foundation, and the Milburn Foundation. The IBC Scoring System introduced in 2023 has already proven beneficial globally. Accurate coding will lead to quicker diagnoses, reduced treatment delays, and enhanced research on IBC, ultimately improving patient outcomes.