Most people with inflammatory breast cancer will have a combination of treatments (chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation therapy). Each person is different and the treatments recommended, and the order in which they are given, may vary according to individual circumstances. Ask as many questions as you need to about the treatments recommended for you and the options available. The treatment plan may need to be adjusted depending on the response of the cancer to the different treatments.
For most types of breast cancer, treatment usually starts with surgery. However, as there is typically no lump with inflammatory breast cancer, treatment usually starts with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy involves using drugs to control or kill cancer cells within the breast and any that may have spread to other parts of the body and cannot be detected using routine tests. The drugs are usually given through a drip in the arm. Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles, often over 3–6 months. Further information information about chemotherapy is available on this site.
Surgery is used to treat inflammatory breast cancer if the cancer has responded well to chemotherapy – that is, if almost all the initial symptoms and signs have disappeared after chemotherapy. Surgery for inflammatory breast cancer usually involves complete removal of the breast (a mastectomy) and lymph nodes in the armpit. Reconstruction may be possible once all initial treatment has been completed but you should discuss this with your treating doctors. More information is also available on this site about mastectomy.
Radiotherapy is almost always used during treatment for inflammatory breast cancer. Radiotherapy may be used before or after surgery or instead of surgery, depending on how the cancer has responded to chemotherapy. Radiotherapy uses X-rays (controlled doses of radiation) to destroy cancer cells in the breast or chest wall. It may also be directed to the lymph nodes in the armpit and in the base of the neck. Radiotherapy is usually given once a day, 5 days a week for 5–6 weeks. More information about radiotherapy is available on this site.
Targeted therapies are treatments that work by targeting breast cancer cells with specific receptors on them. The pathology report shows whether there are specific receptors on the breast cancer cells that have been removed.
- Hormonal therapy, such as tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor, may be recommended if the cancer cells have hormone receptors on them. Hormonal therapies are taken as a tablet once a day for at least 5 years. More information on hormonal therapies is available on this site.
- Patients who have another type of receptor, called the HER2 receptor, on their breast cancer cells may benefit from treatment with a drug called trastuzumab (Herceptin®). Overall, about one quarter of patients with breast cancer have HER2 receptors on their cancer cells. The rate is a little higher for patients with inflammatory breast cancer.
