Inflammatory breast cancer: a review.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The natural history of inflammatory breast cancer and the recent advances in its management were reviewed.

DESIGN:

The English medical literature from 1924 to 1990 was reviewed using the Cancerline and Medline retrieval systems, and through a manual review of bibliographies of identified articles.

RESULTS:

The majority of patients with inflammatory breast cancer treated only with local therapies died 18 to 24 months after diagnosis. A combined modality approach with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy has improved disease-free and overall survival rates for inflammatory breast cancer. Approximately 35% to 55% of patients treated with combined modality regimens remain disease-free and alive at 5 years.

CONCLUSION:

Induction combination chemotherapy administered with radiation therapy, mastectomy, both, or with additional chemotherapy favorably alters the natural history of inflammatory breast cancer. New drug combinations and high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow support are being evaluated to improve further patient survival.

• Authors: I A Jaiyesimi, A U Buzdar, G Hortobagyi
• Journal: Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (J Clin Oncol) Vol. 10 Issue 6 Pg. 1014-24 (Jun 1992) ISSN: 0732-183X [Print] United States
• PMID: 1588366 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Topics

• Breast Neoplasms (diagnosis, mortality, therapy)
• Carcinoma (diagnosis, mortality, therapy)
• Female
• Humans