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Repeat chemo for IBC recurrence okay?

Page last modified on: October 13, 2008

Question from AllanJeffry: Can chemotherapy for IBC be repeated when there is evidence of recurrence after one year? The first round of chemo was well tolerated, surgery and radiation also performed.: Answer —Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., F.A.C.P.: In general terms, when recurrence is detected within about 6 months or less from the last dose of a specific type of chemotherapy, then that same chemotherapy would not be the first choice for treating the recurrence because the time is so short that one would assume the tumor was resistant to that type of chemotherapy and one would select a chemotherapy drug that was not included in that first treatment. Fortunately for the breast cancer patients, there are multiple types of chemotherapy that are effective in managing breast cancer, including recurrent inflammatory breast cancer. Lapatinib, or Tykerb, was recently tested in a clinical trial specifically in patients with recurrent inflammatory breast cancer, and Tykerb was shown to have anti-tumor effects in about 1 in 3 patients if they had the HER2 abnormality.

On Wednesday, October 18, 2006, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., Thomas Buchholz, M.D., and moderator Jennifer Sabol, M.D. answered your questions about inflammatory breast cancer, a rare but aggressive form of breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, M.D., F.A.C.P. chairs the department of breast medical oncology and directs the Breast Cancer Research Program at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where he also serves as professor of medicine and holds the Nellie B. Connally Chair in Breast Cancer.

Thomas A. Buchholz, M.D. is professor of radiation oncology at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Buchholz' research includes the role of radiation treatment in preventing breast cancer recurrence and whether certain genes may be able to predict how breast cancer responds to treatment.

Jennifer Sabol, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a breast surgeon who directs the newly developed Breast Care Center at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa. Among her many interests, Dr. Sabol spearheads several research initiatives to advance the care for women with breast cancer and improve methods of breast cancer detection and treatment.