The role and indications of aggressive locoregional therapy in metastatic inflammatory breast cancer

We seek to confirm the effect and explore the indications of aggressive locoregional management in patients with metastatic inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Between 2003 and 2014, we reviewed the records of 156 patients with metastatic IBC from five large centers of Breast Surgery in the region of central south of China. Clinicopathologic data were collected to access overall survival (OS), prognostic factors and the indications for locoregional treatment. 75 (48%) patients underwent aggressive locoregional therapy. Patients in locoregional therapy group had a median OS of 24 months compared with 17 months of those in no locoregional therapy group. 2-year OS rate of these two groups was 52% and 32%, separately. Locoregional therapy (HR = 0.556; 95% CI 0.385–0.803; p = 0.002) was confirmed to be an independent prognostic factor, which could significantly improve OS of patients with metastatic IBC. For locoregional therapy group, statistical differences were observed in all subgroups stratified by the factors that were significant in univariate analysis except in the subgroups of stable disease, Charlson comorbidity index ≥3 and cerebral metastasis. Therefore, systemic therapy efficacy, Charlson comorbidity index and cerebral metastasis status appeared to be important indexes for choice of locoregional therapy in different individuals.