International expert panel on inflammatory breast cancer: consensus statement for standardized diagnosis and treatment.
BACKGROUND
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) represents the most aggressive presentation of breast cancer. Women diagnosed with IBC typically have a poorer prognosis compared with those diagnosed with non-IBC tumors. Recommendations and guidelines published to date on the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of women with breast cancer have focused primarily on non-IBC tumors. Establishing a minimum standard for clinical diagnosis and treatment of IBC is needed.


METHODS
Recognizing IBC to be a distinct entity, a group of international experts met in December 2008 at the First International Conference on Inflammatory Breast Cancer to develop guidelines for the management of IBC.


RESULTS
The panel of leading IBC experts formed a consensus on the minimum requirements to accurately diagnose IBC, supported by pathological confirmation. In addition, the panel emphasized a multimodality approach of systemic chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The goal of these guidelines, based on an expert consensus after careful review of published data, is to help the clinical diagnosis of this rare disease and to standardize management of IBC among treating physicians in both the academic and community settings.
Dawood
S
S
Department of Medical Oncology, Dubai Hospital, Department of Health and Medical Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Merajver
S D
SD
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Viens
P
P
Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.
Vermeulen
P B
PB
Department of Pathology, General Hospital Sint-Augustinus, Antwerp, Belgium.
Swain
S M
SM
Washington Cancer Institute, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Buchholz
T A
TA
Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Dirix
L Y
LY
Translational Cancer Research Group Antwerp, General Hospital Sint-Augustinus, Antwerp, Belgium.
Levine
P H
PH
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Lucci
A
A
Department of Surgical Oncology.
Krishnamurthy
S
S
Department of Pathology.
Robertson
F M
FM
Department of Experimental Therapeutics.
Woodward
W A
WA
Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Yang
W T
WT
Department of Diagnostic Radiology.
Ueno
N T
NT
Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Cristofanilli
M
M
Department of Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: Massimo.Cristofanilli@fccc.edu.
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058922:Inflammatory Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068878:Trastuzumab
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D013629:Tamoxifen; D000068878:Trastuzumab