Treating stage III (also called stage 3) inflammatory breast cancer

Chemotherapy. For stage III inflammatory breast cancer, chemotherapy is often used to help shrink the tumor before surgery to remove it. When chemotherapy is given before surgery, it is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may also reduce the number of lymph nodes that need to be removed during surgery. Chemotherapy may also be given after surgery (called adjuvant chemotherapy). Learn more about Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.

Surgery. The standard type of surgery for inflammatory breast cancer is a modified radical mastectomy, which removes the entire breast and the lymph nodes under the arm. Since inflammatory breast cancer affects large areas of skin on the breast, lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery) and skin-sparing mastectomy are not options. Learn more about Mastectomy.

Radiation therapy. After surgery, you will likely have radiation therapy to the chest wall where the breast was removed to reduce the chance of breast cancer returning in the breast or chest wall. Learn more about Radiation for Breast Cancer.

Hormone therapy. You may receive hormone therapy if the cancer tests positive for estrogen receptors and/or progesterone receptors. Hormone therapy may also be given when the hormone receptor status of the cancer is unknown. Hormone therapy for inflammatory breast cancer is typically started during or after radiation therapy. Learn more about Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer.

Immunotherapy. You may receive immunotherapy, such as pembrolizumab, if biomarker tests suggest that the cancer is triple-negative. Learn more about Immunotherapy for Breast Cancer.

Targeted therapy. You may receive targeted therapy, such as trastuzumab, if biomarker tests suggest that the cancer has certain biomarkers. Learn more about Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer.