Research table: Treatment for inflammatory breast cancer and overall survival

This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. Summary tables are a useful way to look at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations. However, to get the most out of the tables, it’s important to understand some key concepts. Learn how to read a research table.

Introduction: Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive breast cancer.

Non-metastatic inflammatory breast cancer is treated with a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Treatment may also include hormone therapy, HER2-targeted therapy, CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy, immunotherapy and/or PARP inhibitor therapy.

With modern treatments, survival for women with inflammatory breast cancer appears to be improving. Some studies now estimate 5-year survival with inflammatory breast cancer to be about 50% to 70%, and median survival time to be about 8 years [1-3].

Learn more about treatment for non-metastatic inflammatory breast cancer and different types of treatment for non-metastatic breast cancer.

Learn about treatment for metastatic breast cancer, including metastatic inflammatory breast cancer.

Study selection criteria: Clinical trials with 50 or more participants and at least 5 years of follow-up.

Study	Study Population (number of participants)	Treatments Studied	5-Year Overall Survival
Clinical trials
Untch et al. [3]	91	Chemotherapy>>lumpectomy>>chemotherapy>>radiation therapy OR Chemotherapy>>mastectomy, with or without radiation therapy>>chemotherapy	65%*
Harris et al. [4]	54	Chemotherapy>>radiation therapy, with or without mastectomy>>chemotherapy OR Chemotherapy>>mastectomy>>radiation therapy>>chemotherapy OR Mastectomy>>chemotherapy>>radiation therapy>>chemotherapy	56%

* Estimated from a figure in the study

References 

1. Kupstas AR, Hoskin TL, Day CN, Boughey J C, Habermann EB, Hieken TJ. Biological subtype, treatment response and outcomes in inflammatory breast cancer using data from the National Cancer Database. Br J Surg. 107(8):1033-1041, 2020.
2. Grova MM, Strassle PD, Navajas EE, et al. The prognostic value of axillary staging following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in inflammatory breast cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 28(4):2182-2190, 2021.
3. Adesoye T, Everidge S, Chen J, et al. Low rates of local-regional recurrence among inflammatory breast cancer patients after contemporary trimodal therapy. Ann Surg Oncol. Ann Surg Oncol. 30(10):6232-6240, 2023.
4. Untch M, Möbus V, Kuhn W, et al. Intensive dose-dense compared with conventionally scheduled preoperative chemotherapy for high-risk primary breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 27(18):2938-45, 2009.
5. Harris EER, Schultz D, Bertsch H, et al. Ten-year outcome after combined modality therapy for inflammatory breast cancer. Int J. Radiation Oncology Biol Phys. 55:1200-1208, 2003. 

Updated 08/09/24