Inflammatory breast cancer: improving research and care through the integration of preclinical evidence and technological advances.

Abstract

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer, associated with poor treatment responses and extremely unfavorable patient outcomes. One of the major challenges in IBC is the absence of objective and standardized diagnostic criteria, as diagnosis currently relies on clinical presentation and requires specialist expertise. This limitation is particularly critical in regions such as North Africa, where IBC prevalence is disproportionately high and diagnostic resources are often limited. Another obstacle to improving patient outcomes lies in the limited understanding of the distinct biological mechanisms underlying IBC. As a result, no IBC-specific therapies have been successfully implemented in clinical practice. In this review, we summarize recent advancements in understanding the biology of IBC, with a special emphasis on the tumor microenvironment and discuss how these insights can inform the development of more effective treatment strategies. Considering the growing relevance of liquid biopsy in oncology, we provide a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on its applications in IBC, highlighting the potential of circulating biomarkers to enhance disease characterization, diagnosis, risk assessment, and personalized treatment. Finally, we explore the promising role of artificial intelligence in improving diagnostic accuracy for IBC, with the potential to facilitate earlier detection and improve clinical management of patients with this aggressive disease.