REDMOND -- A Redmond mom finally got the day she's waited so long for, as Congress puts Inflammatory Breast Cancer in the national spotlight.

We've been warning women about IBC for two years, and now our message has made its way into a bill before the U.S. House of Representatives.

Local advocate Patti Bradford reads from U.S. House Resolution Bill 1300: "Encourage the American Medical Association to take steps to immediately increase IBC awareness among physicians."

It's a day she's waited for, for four years.

Doctors are the key. My Problem Solver reports have revealed time and again that too many IBC patients are misdiagnosed. It happened to the late Marilyn Willingham from Carnation and Camano Island's Nancy Key. Nancy is now a 9 year IBC survivor.

"They (doctors) need to know what they should be looking for," said U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY).

The Congresswoman never heard of IBC until a staffer's friend was recently diagnosed.

"I was going, 'Holy crow, how come we're not talking about this? How come we don't have more information on Inflammatory Breast Cancer?' " said McCarthy.

Doctors often mistake IBC symptoms -- a swollen breast, redness, pain, itching and tenderness --for an infection or a bug bite.

Unlike traditional breast cancer, IBC often presents without a lump, and rarely shows up on a mammogram. It strikes young women, long before the recommended baseline mammogram at 40 years old. By the time IBC presents, it's in an advanced stage - typically 3b or stage 4. There is no stage 5.

"They need so badly to make this a priority, so there is not so many women dying," said Bradfield.

Four years ago, when Patti's daughter Tina was diagnosed with IBC, they'd never heard of it. And every day since - even the day Tina died last August - Patti has warned everyone about IBC.

Two years ago, our camera caught her approaching and asking women along a Kirkland sidewalk, "Hi my daughter has Inflammatory Breast Cancer, I'm not trying to sell anything, have you heard of this type of breast cancer?"

She's stood on street corners. And she helped launch the foundation, which Rep. McCarthy highlights in her bill.

"Organizations such as the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation are working to increase awareness," Patti reads from the bill. "That's our foundation!"

The bill asks the federal government to raise awareness and education. It calls on the American Medical Association to make sure doctors know. And, it encourages research and better access to IBC information.

It's everything Patti's been saying. If Tina were here, I asked Patti what she might think.

"What would my daughter think about this? Go Mom, go!" she said.

To help push this bill, contact your congressional leaders.

We already know Washington's U.S. Senator Patty Murray is a big IBC supporter.

For More Information:

www.eraseibc.com

You can read the House Resolution at (H. Res 1300) at this link