High dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue as a part of combined modality therapy in stage IIIB inflammatory breast cancer

10694 Background: Despite the improvements related to introduction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the prognosis of patients with inflammatory breast cancer remains poor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, feasibility and outcomes of high dose chemotherapy in this group of patients. Methods: Between June 1991 and January 1999, twenty eight patients with pathologically confirmed inflammatory breast cancer were consecutively enrolled in this study. All patients were rendered free of clinically evident disease by using chemotherapy (adjuvant, neoadjuvant or both) either alone or in combination with surgery. Following stem cell collection patients received HD-CT with thiotepa 250mg/m2 days 1, 2 & 3(total dose of 750mg/m2), mitoxantrone 40mg/m2 on day 1 and carboplatin 333mg/m2 on days 1, 2 & 3 ( total dose of 1gm/m2). Previously stored stem cells were infused on the seventh day of HD-CT chemotherapy. Eligible patients received radiation to the chest wall and tamoxifen for 5 years. Results: With median duration of follow-up of 46.9 months( range 15.1–177.2), the median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were 42.5 months (range 9.7–135.7) and 34.8 months (range 3.3–135.7), respectively. The multivariate analysis showed a significantly better EFS and OS in patients with estrogen receptor (ER) positive tumors ( P value ≥ 0.003). Mucositis and Infection were the most severe non-hematological toxicities. Grade four cardiac and pulmonary toxicities developed in one patient. There was no transplant related mortality. One patient developed myelodysplastic syndrome. Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that high dose chemotherapy with thiotepa, mitoxantrone and carboplatin is a safe and efficacious regimen in patients with stage IIIB inflammatory breast cancer. No significant financial relationships to disclose.