Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Modeling Brain Metastasis Via Tail-Vein Injection of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells
Published on: February 4, 2021
Pathologic complete response and overall survival in breast cancer subtypes in stage III inflammatory breast cancer
Dominique J P van Uden1, Marissa C van Maaren2,3, Peter Bult4
1Department of Surgery, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. djpvanuden@gmail.com.
Purpose:
To analyze the influence of hormone receptors (HR) and Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor-2 (HER2)-based molecular subtypes in stage III inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) on tumor characteristics, treatment, pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), and overall survival (OS).
Methods:
Patients with stage III IBC, diagnosed in the Netherlands between 2006 and 2015, were classified into four breast cancer subtypes: HR+/HER2- , HR+/HER2+ , HR-/HER2+ , and HR-/HER2- . Patient-, tumor- and treatment-related characteristics were compared. In case of NACT, pathologic complete response (pCR) was compared between subgroups. OS of the subtypes was compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test.
Results:
1061 patients with stage III IBC were grouped into subtypes: HR+/HER2- (N = 453, 42.7%), HR-/HER2- (N = 258, 24.3%), HR-/HER2+ (N = 180,17.0%), and HR+/HER2+ (N = 170,16.0%). In total, 679 patients (85.0%) received NACT. In HR-/HER2+ tumors, pCR rate was highest (43%, (p < 0.001). In case of pCR, an improved survival was observed for all subtypes, especially for HR+/HER2+ and HR-/HER2+ tumor subtypes. Trimodality therapy (NACT, surgery, radiotherapy) improved 5-year OS as opposed to patients not receiving this regimen: HR+/HER2- (74.9 vs. 46.1%), HR+/HER2+ (80.4 vs. 52.6%), HR-/HER2+ (76.4 vs. 29.7%), HR-/HER2- (47.6 vs. 27.8%).
Conclusions:
In stage III IBC, breast cancer subtypes based on the HR and HER2 receptor are important prognostic factors of response to NACT and OS. Patients with HR-/HER2- IBC were less likely to achieve pCR and had the worst OS, irrespective of receiving most optimal treatment regimen to date (trimodality therapy).
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Survival Analysis
Inflammatory Response
Inflammation can be triggered by various stimuli, such as impact, abrasion, chemical irritation, infections, and extreme hot or cold temperatures. These can damage cells and connective tissue fibers,...
Inflammatory Response II: Inflammatory Exudate and Tissue Repair
The typical wound exudate is odorless, transparent, straw-colored, thin, and watery. Exudate, however, can differ depending on the state of wound healing. Likewise, the...
Inflammatory Response I: Vascular and Cellular
Cancer
What is Cancer?
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of...

