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Incidence and survival of inflammatory breast cancer between 1973 and 2015 in the SEER database

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive variant characterized by erythema, edema, and “peau d’orange” of the skin progressing within 6 months. We assessed the incidence and survival of IBC in the US over four decades.

Methods

Using SEER*Stat, a case list of IBC patients diagnosed between 1973 and 2015 (n = 29,718) was extracted from SEER 18 registries by using a combination of morphology, stage, and extent of disease criteria. M1 and M0 patients were included. Age-adjusted incidence rates, relative survival rates, and mean survival time were calculated. Significance was determined as non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals.

Results

The overall incidence of IBC from 1973 to 2015 is 2.76 (2.73, 2.79) cases per 100,000 people, with white patients having an incidence rate of 2.63 (2.60, 2.67), black patients 4.52 (4.39, 4.65), and patients of other race 1.84 (1.76, 1.93). The overall IBC relative 5-year survival rate is 40.5% (39.0%, 42.0%), 42.5% (40.7%, 44.3%), and 29.9% (26.6%, 33.3%) for white patients and black patients, respectively. Patients diagnosed in 1978–1982 have a mean survival time of 62.3 (52.0, 72.6) months, while those diagnosed in 2008–2012 have mean survival time of 99.4 (96.4, 102.4) months. There is no significant difference in survival time between T4D patients and patients with other T staging and extent of disease coding consistent with clinical IBC presentation.

Conclusions

IBC survival has increased over four decades. Despite the improvement in survival for all racial groups, a persistent survival disparity that has not narrowed over two decades remains between white and black patients.

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Funding

This work was supported in part by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to SDM; and the Rogel Cancer Center Core Grant (P30CA046592).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Hannah Grace Abraham & Sofia Diana Merajver

  2. University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, 1500 E Medical Drive 7217, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Hannah Grace Abraham & Sofia Diana Merajver

  3. School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Yaoxuan Xia, Bhramar Mukherjee & Sofia Diana Merajver

Authors
  1. Hannah Grace Abraham
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  2. Yaoxuan Xia
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  4. Sofia Diana Merajver
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Correspondence to Sofia Diana Merajver.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. Merajver is a founder and Chief Scientific Officer of InheRET, Inc. The work she performs for InheRET is unrelated to this manuscript. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Abraham, H.G., Xia, Y., Mukherjee, B. et al. Incidence and survival of inflammatory breast cancer between 1973 and 2015 in the SEER database. Breast Cancer Res Treat 185, 229–238 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-020-05938-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-020-05938-2

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