The role of locoregional therapy in inflammatory breast cancer.

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most aggressive form of invasive breast cancer. The disease is associated with extensive local disease at the time of initial diagnosis requiring multidisciplinary treatment including neoadjuvant systemic therapy, surgery and comprehensive locoregional therapy. The clinical and pathological response to induction chemotherapy represents an important prognostic factor. IBC is otherwise associated with a high incidence of locoregional recurrence suggesting a critical role also for local modalities, particularly radiotherapy. The use of different schedules of treatment and possible combination approaches are reviewed and discussed.