Inflammatory breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most aggressive form of primary breast cancer, with the optimal treatment methods remaining a challenge, primarily due to the early onset of metastasis and rapid tumor progression. In the United States, the incidence is low, reported as 1–6 % of all breast cancers. Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) revealed that IBC incidence rates between 1988–1990 and 1997–1999 increased from 2 to 2.5 (per 100,000 women-years) (p<0.001), whereas those with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) declined (2.5–2.0; p=0.0025). Improvement in systemic treatment and locoregional managements with surgery and radiation are a crucial part of the curative treatment program of IBC, and several studies have shown the improvement in locoregional control and overall survival when patients are treated with chemotherapy. However, despite the use of multidisciplinary treatment for the IBC, the 5-year survival remains at approximately 30–40 %, with no significant change in the overall prognosis over the past 30 years.