Health professionals

This section of our website is dedicated to providing healthcare professionals with focused and relevant resources to support their work in IBC care and advocacy.

IBC Information Pamphlet

A clear, concise guide to IBC for patients. Healthcare professionals can download, share, or display it to raise awareness.

Canadian National Guidelines for Invasive Breast Cancer

These guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for neoadjuvant treatment, patient assessment, systemic therapy, and local management principles.
View or Download the PDF

MD Anderson Treatment Guidelines Inflammatory Breast Cancer Treatment Algorithm

Access the MD Anderson treatment guidelines for IBC, including recommendations for systemic therapy, surgery, and radiation.
Download the PDF

Breast Cancer Pathway Map

Access the Breast Cancer Pathway Map from Cancer Care Ontario for guidance on the general breast cancer care pathway. While not specific to IBC, this map can assist healthcare providers in navigating treatment decisions, care coordination, and the overall patient journey. For IBC-specific care, the MD Anderson Treatment Algorithm can be used in conjunction with the Pathway Map to support clinical decision-making.

IBC Scoring System: A Diagnostic Support Tool

The IBC Scoring System is a structured tool designed to assist in identifying Inflammatory Breast Cancer by evaluating clinical symptoms, imaging, and pathology findings. Providers enter patient data into the Susan G. Komen IBC Calculator to generate a score in one of four categories ranging from Very Likely IBC to Very Unlikely IBC.

Important Notes:

  • Not a standalone diagnostic tool—IBC requires a biopsy for confirmation, but this tool can help guide next steps and improve diagnostic accuracy.
  • Ongoing Validation: at leading IBC centers, including Dana-Farber and MD Anderson.

Additional Resources:

  • IBC Scoring Guide – Detailed criteria breakdown.
  • Published Research – Inflammatory breast cancer defined: proposed common diagnostic criteria to guide treatment and research (Breast Cancer Res Treat,

IBC Learning Academy

The IBC Learning Academy is an educational resource designed to enhance understanding of Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Participants will receive a certificate upon completion, and some educational institutions may allow healthcare professionals, such as nurses, midwives, and physicians, to earn CME credits for this course. We encourage you to check with your institution to confirm eligibility. In the future, we hope to collaborate with the IBC Network Foundation (US) to develop a Canadian-specific module tailored to our unique needs and circumstances.

NCCN IBC Patient Guidelines

This comprehensive resource from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network outlining the diagnosis, treatment, and management of inflammatory breast cancer based on expert recommendations. It is a valuable tool for educating patients and guiding discussions.

Key Research and Insights on IBC

  1. “Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Early Recognition and Diagnosis is Critical“
    This article emphasizes the importance of early recognition and diagnosis of IBC, highlighting its aggressive nature and the need for prompt intervention.
  2. “Inflammatory Breast Cancer: What We Know and What We Need to Learn“
    This comprehensive review discusses the clinical features, diagnostic challenges, and treatment strategies for IBC, providing valuable insights for healthcare providers.
  3. “HER2DX in HER2-Positive Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Correlative Analysis of the NeoALTTO Trial“
    This study explores the HER2DX gene expression signature in HER2-positive IBC, offering potential prognostic information and guiding treatment decisions.
  4. “Inflammatory Breast Cancer Defined: Proposed Common Diagnostic Criteria to Guide Treatment and Research”
    This article outlines the development of a novel quantitative scoring system for diagnosing inflammatory breast cancer. The system aims to move beyond subjective clinical diagnosis by incorporating clinical, pathological, and imaging features. It provides a standardized approach to improve diagnostic accuracy, guide treatment decisions, and support IBC-specific research efforts.
  5. “In Vivo Simvastatin and Brain Radiation in a Model of HER2+ Inflammatory Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis“
    This study examines simvastatin’s role in reducing brain metastases in HER2-positive IBC. While simvastatin showed some benefits in small lesions when combined with whole-brain radiation, it did not significantly impact larger metastases. The findings underscore the need for further research to develop more effective treatments for brain metastases in IBC.
  6. “New Strategies for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer: A Review of Inflammatory Breast Cancer and Nonresponders“
    This review examines emerging therapies for inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), focusing on novel treatments and clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes for patients, especially nonresponders.
  7. “Why Diagnosing Inflammatory Breast Cancer is Hard and How to Overcome the Challenges“
    This review addresses the difficulties in diagnosing IBC and offers strategies for improving detection and clinical awareness.
  8. “Inflammatory Breast Cancer: The Pathologists’ Perspective”
    This review addresses the diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, and staging of IBC, highlighting its molecular features and the role of the microenvironment in research.
  9. “The Role of Mastectomy in De Novo Stage IV Inflammatory Breast Cancer”
    This study found that modified radical mastectomy (MRM) is linked to improved overall survival (OS) in de novo stage IV IBC, highlighting the need for further research to confirm its benefits.

 

Request Information and Collaboration Opportunities

Reach out for tailored educational resources, information, or to discuss collaboration opportunities with the IBC Network Foundation Canada.

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