NEWCASTLE, Okla. -- Doctors say 10,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with a stealth form of breast cancer in 2008: inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

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The prognosis associated with IBC is not good, according to medical experts. It can be lethal, aggressive and elusive -- and oncologists said that getting mammograms or checking for lumps won't help detect it.

For Newcastle resident Connie Craven, detection came by watching the news.

"I came home one evening, and my husband said, 'Connie, there is another form of breast cancer out. It's on the news. You probably should catch it tonight,'" Craven said. "I thought, 'That is all we need is something else to cope with.'"

That ominous message foreshadowed what would become Craven's struggle.

"The first thing I noticed is the infected breast or the affected breast was firmer than the other, only slightly," she said.

Craven then noticed an unassuming scratch on her breast that didn't heal normally. A trip to a doctor's office revealed inflammatory breast cancer.

What Craven didn't know at the time of her diagnosis is that her form of cancer is a very stealth and aggressive tumor. Its sneakiness lies in its appearance, according to oncologist Dr. Thuy Nguyen.

"It's just the skin changes that signal that this is a problem," Nguyen said.

The lesions start as a red blotch that won't heal. It might look like a rash, a localized case of hives or patches that -- in some cases -- cover the entire breast.

Nguyen said it may also burn or feel warm like a rash.

However, there may also be pain associated with IBC, typically described as a constant ache or soreness. In its most severe state, it can carry a sharp, stabbing pain.

Doctors said what women won't find is a lump, and that makes the disease so elusive. The outlook for Craven and the hundreds of Oklahoma women who suffer from IBC can be bleak.

"Every single patient that comes in the door with inflammatory breast cancer is automatically a Stage 3B," Nguyen said.

The National Cancer Institute says the five-year survival rate for IBC is between 25 and 50 percent, which is significantly lower than most other breast cancer diagnoses.

"The key to treatment is rapid diagnosis and then starting treatment," said Nguyen.

To learn more about inflammatory breast cancer, visit the MD Anderson Cancer Center Web site.