Inflammatory breast carcinoma: a distinct entity?

Sixty-four patients with the diagnosis of either inflammatory or locally advanced breast cancer were analyzed with respect to age, menopausal status, estrogen receptor protein (ERP) measurements, characteristics on clinical presentation, disease-free interval (DFI), and overall survival. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the patients' clinical presentation, DFI, or overall survival time. Patients with inflammatory carcinoma were significantly younger as well as more likely to be pre- or perimenopausal than patients with locally advanced breast cancer. Of those patients who had ERP measurements performed, patients with inflammatory breast cancer had a significantly decreased incidence of ERP(+) tumors in comparison to patients with locally advanced breast cancer. These results suggest that inflammatory carcinoma of the breast behaves as an ERP(-) subtype of locally advanced breast carcinoma rather than a truly distinct entity.