Surgical aspects of inflammatory breast cancer

Mastectomy alone as a treatment for inflammatory breast cancer results in local recurrence in 20% of cases and a median survival of only 2 years. Current management of inflammatory cancer employs initial chemotherapy with surgery reserved for patients who have complete resolution of inflammatory changes. The combination of chemotherapy, mastectomy, and radiotherapy results in local control in 80% of patients. Breast conserving surgery and sentinel node biopsy are contraindicated in inflammatory cancer.