Targeted therapy in inflammatory breast cancer.

Despite the introduction of multimodality treatment approaches, the prognosis of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is poor. Recent developments in molecular targeted therapy may be effective against IBC. The authors report the results of a literature review. Trastuzumab and lapatinib, which target human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), have demonstrated benefit in clinical trials for HER-2-positive breast cancers. WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein 3, Ras homolog gene family member C guanosine triphosphatase, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and p27(kip1) also have been studied as potential targets in IBC. Molecular targets in vasculolymphatic processes (angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and vasculogenesis) have demonstrated greater potential in IBC than in non-IBC. Although loss of E-cadherin is a hallmark of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and may correlate with the promotion of metastasis, paradoxically, E-cadherin is overexpressed in IBC through an unknown mechanism. On the basis of dissecting the molecular mechanism of the aggressiveness of IBC, the authors currently are investigating whether EGFR may aid in developing innovative targeted therapies. Copyright 2010 American Cancer Society.