INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER (IBC) RECURRENCE

James I. Bicher, M. D., Ralph S. Wolfstein, M. D.,
Tressia Keen, M. N., Sylvia Carter, Ph. D.

Valley Cancer Institute, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A

Thermoradiotherapy is well established as a primary or adjunct treatment of mammary adenocarcinoma. Results in our series since 1984, encompassing 142 treated patients show a 90% response rate of which 72% are complete responses. However, when local treatment is done in the face of disseminated disease, the response rate is markedly reduced. Response rate increases with the number of hyperthermia treatments.

Localized inflammatory breast cancer (ibc), usually extending from the affected breast or mastectomy site to the chest wall is a rapidly lymphatic spreading form for cancer, usually resistant to radiation or chemotherapy, and prone to rapid dissemination.

This presentation reports on a phase 1 clinical trial involving 62 fields in 22 patients. Each field received 2000-4000cGy of external beam bolused radiation combined with 25 or more hyperthermia treatments given within one hour of the radiation.

Response rate was gratifying. 90% of the fields responded to the combined treatment, with complete disappearance of the inflammatory process (ibc) in 81% of the treated areas. There were only 4 recurrences in the areas of complete response while areas that responded partially showed regrowth within 3 months of treatment. Side effects were minimal, in the form of 6 first degree superficial burns. There was no correlation between the response rate and the radiation dose.