INFLAMMATORY BREAST-CARCINOMA - COMPARISON OF SURVIVAL OF THOSE DIAGNOSED CLINICALLY, PATHOLOGICALLY, OR WITH BOTH FEATURES

There still remains some controversy as to whether or not there is a s urvival difference in patients with inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC ) with regard to whether they were diagnosed clinically, pathologicall y, or with both features. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all the patients diagnosed with IBC who were treated at the Nova Scot ia Cancer Treatment and Research foundation between the years of 1990 and 1994 inclusive. Fifty-seven patients' charts were reviewed for rec urrence or death up until Feb. 16, 1996. The overall survival of the 5 7 patients was 32 per cent (confidence interval, 16-48%) and 12 per ce nt (confidence interval, 0-26%) at 3 and 5 years, respectively. The su rvival times according to presentation (clinical, pathological, or bot h) at 3 and 5 years were 31 and 10 per cent for the clinically diagnos ed group, 56 per cent at 3 years for the pathologically diagnosed grou p (5-year survival times could not be calculated), and 34 and 20 per c ent for the group diagnosed both clinically and pathologically, respec tively. Analysis by the log-rank Pest revealed I-hat there was no sign ificant difference in survival between these three groups. We conclude that there was no statistically significant difference in survival be tween those patients who presented clinically, pathologically, or with both features.