Racial and ethnic disparities in survival outcomes among patients with inflammatory breast cancer: a systematic...

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive subtype of breast cancer characterized by rapid progression, early metastasis, and poor prognosis. While racial and ethnic disparities in IBC outcomes have been reported, existing findings remain inconsistent. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate survival disparities by race and ethnicity among patients with IBC. A systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE identified 15 eligible studies. Compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients, non-Hispanic Black patients had higher mortality (HR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.34-1.57), while Asian or Asian Pacific Islander (API) patients had lower mortality (HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.65-0.94). Hispanic patients did not show statistically different survival outcomes compared to NHW patients (HR: 1.06, 95% CI 0.88-1.28). These findings underscore persistent racial disparities in IBC outcomes, although inherent biases and confounding in observational studies warrant cautious interpretation.