Inflammatory breast cancer: advances in therapy.
Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive breast neoplasm and one of the most ominous solid tumors. Because of distinct clinical characteristics, diagnosis can usually be made on clinical grounds. Biopsy including the overlying skin may demonstrate dermal lymphatic invasion, although the absence of dermal lymphatic invasions should not deter aggressive therapy. Surgery or irradiation alone has little effect on the natural history of this disease since lymphatic invasion and distant metastases are often present at presentation. Inflammatory breast cancer should be considered a systemic disease. Accordingly, aggressive combined modality therapy including multi-drug chemotherapy, surgery, and irradiation have prolonged disease-free survival and overall survival.
Ellis
L M
LM
Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610.
Bland
K I
KI
Copeland
E M
EM
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008413:Mastitis / Q000628:therapy*