Neoadjuvant high dose chemotherapy plus peripheral blood progenitor cells in inflammatory breast cancer: a multicenter phase II pilot study

Background and Objectives. With the introduction of combined modality therapy, approximately 30% of patients wth inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) are alive and free of disease at 5 years, but the lack of control of systemic disease continues to be the main reason for treatment failure. The importance of the response to primary chemotherapy and, in particular, complete tumor regression after primary chemotherapy have previously been described to be among the most reliable prognostic factors along with the dose intensity of doxorubicin. Design and Methods. To evaluate pathologic response rate and toxicity of neoadjuvant high dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) support in patients affected by IBC, 21 patients were enrolled in a study in which it was planned that they would receive 4 courses of epirubicin 150 mg/m2 plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) as induction and mobilizing chemotherapy. Patients with non-progressive disease w...