ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of concurrent chemotherapy and irradiation in inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Between January 1990 and December 1998, forty-eight non-metastatic patients with clinical or occult IBC were treated with chemotherapy and irradiation. The induction chemotherapy consisted of epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and vindesin, in association with split-course bi-fractionated irradiation to a total dose of 65 Gy with concomitant cisplatin and fluorouracil. Maintenance chemotherapy consisted of high-dose methotrexate and 6 cycles of epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil Hormonal treatment was given routinely but mastectomies were not routinely performed. A high rate of locoregional control was obtained in 47 evaluable patients of whom 93.6 % achieved a complete clinical response. Three patients had locoregional relapses, always with concomitant metastatic dissemination. In 47 patients, 21 developed metastatic dissemination with a median delay of 23 months. Median disease-free survival (DFS) was 45 months. Median overall survival (OS) has not yet been reached after a median follow-up of 44.5 months. The 3-year DFS rate was 53 % and the 3-year OS rate was 71 %. Toxicity was mainly hematological. During the induction therapy, grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occurred in 54 % of patients, grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia in 23 % and grade 3 or 4 anemia in 8 %. The administration of induction chemotherapy and concomitant irradiation is feasible in patients with IBC. The hematological toxicity of this treatment approach is significant but nevertheless, the treatment achieves a high degree of locoregional control and improved survivaL
