Inflammatory Breast Cancer

This research study is studying the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen for brain metastases (spread of the breast cancer to the brain).

This Feasibility study is trying to determine: * If Lymphoscintigraphy (imaging of the lymphatic drainage patterns) is effective in demonstrating the drainage to the sentinel lymph nodes in patients with inflammatory breast cancer. * The likelihood of identifying the sentinel lymph nodes in the operating room, using both blue dye and the radioactive substance used for lymphoscintigraphy. * The incidence of lymphedema (arm swelling which occurs after lymph node surgery) in women with inflammatory breast cancer * Outcomes for women with inflammatory breast cancer, whether or not the sentinel lymph nodes can be identified.

Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive and rare form of breast cancer, which accounts for 2-3% of all breast cancers. The classic presentation of inflammatory breast cancer includes erythema, edema, and peau d'orange of at least one/third of the breast. Current treatment of inflammatory breast cancer include: neoadjuvant chemiotherapy, modified radical mastectomy and radiation therapy. In the last two decades the development of new targeted therapies has significantly improved the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemiotherapy allowing a de-escalation of surgical treatment in patients with non-inflammatory breast cancer that achieve clinical complete response. There are few retrospective studies that evaluate implications of surgical treatment on survival among these patients. This may justify trial aims to investigate the possible use of the breast conserving surgery in patients with inflammatory breast cancer that achieve clinical complete response after neoadjuvant chemiotherapy.