Inflammatory breast cancer: a review

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