About the IBC Program

Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center's team of specialists have expertise in the treatment of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

We offer patient- and family-centered care, which means you and your family are the focus of our attention. Your health care team will take the time to listen, understand your needs and preferences, and try to give you a sense of control over your life.

Through a coordinated effort by our team of medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists, our patients can quickly begin a treatment plan which generally includes chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation therapy.

We understand that cancer affects more than your body. We offer support programs and resources that help you and your family cope with your illness, including complementary therapies such as massage and acupuncture.

For more information about the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program, call 617-632-2175.

To make an appointment, call 877-442-3324.

Learn about the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer 

IBC Program Specialists

Our entire team is focused on the unique aspects of inflammatory breast cancer. You will benefit from our multidisciplinary approach, which means you will see several specialists on your first visit. We will coordinate your care throughout your time with us.

Our specialists work within Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center's Breast Oncology Center, which brings together some of the world's leading breast cancer experts. Your care team may include medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists; pathologists; radiologists; pharmacists; and oncology nurses.

Other staff members, such as social workers and nutritionists, may also provide care and support.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program Committee

Beth Overmoyer, MD, Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program Director, Medical Oncology

Faina Nakhlis, MD, Surgery

Judi Hirshfield-Bartek, RN, MS, OCN, Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program, Clinical Nurse Coordinator

Jennifer Bellon, MD, Radiation Oncology

Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD, Medical Oncology / Molecular and Cellular Research

Eren Yeh, MD, Diagnostic Radiology

Susan Lester, MD, PhD, Chief, Breast Pathology

IBC Research

As a leading research center, Dana-Farber supports scientists working to improve the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of inflammatory breast cancer.

Your care team is actively involved in research, and will apply the latest knowledge to your care.

Because IBC is a rare cancer, we encourage you to participate in research so we can gain more information about this disease and provide better treatments now and in the future.

You can help advance basic research, in which laboratory scientists study the behavior of cells and genes, by donating your tissue or blood specimen to be analyzed.
Watch a video that explains tissue banking

You can join an inflammatory breast cancer clinical trial, in which physicians test the effectiveness of new drugs or combinations, look at new ways to give treatment, or explore methods to keep cancer from coming back.
Learn more about clinical trials 

IBC Information for Referring Physicians

The Breast Oncology Center at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center offers highly specialized evaluation and care for patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that is frequently difficult to detect and often presents at an advanced stage.

To refer a patient for diagnosis and treatment for inflammatory breast cancer, call 877-332-4294.

Multidisciplinary clinic

Our medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists work together in treating patients with IBC, most often with chemotherapy followed by surgery and state-of-the-art radiation therapy. By employing a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach, patients are able to begin treatment quickly, which is essential given the aggressive nature of the disease.

Patients also have access to multiple clinical trials, designed specifically to improve therapies for IBC. A range of trials is available, including studies for newly diagnosed patients, for patients who present with metastatic disease or local-regional disease recurrence, and for patients who did not achieve a complete pathologic response at mastectomy following initial chemotherapy.

Indications for referral

Unlike other forms of breast cancer, which can be identified by a mass, IBC is more diffuse, with more lymphatic involvement that causes the breast to feel thick or heavy, and makes diagnosis more difficult.

Patients who present with redness, swelling, pain, or itchiness of the breast or thickening of the skin on the breast, with ridging or dimpling, should be referred to a specialist for evaluation and a clinical examination and biopsy to confirm diagnosis.

While IBC shares clinical similarities to mastitis, if a patient does not respond to antibiotic treatment for mastitis, a specialist should be consulted about inflammatory breast cancer.

Clinical research

Our researchers and clinicians are involved in clinical and basic science research to enhance our understanding of inflammatory breast cancer, develop more effective diagnostic and treatment options for patients, improve the current predicted five-year 50 percent survival rate for patients with IBC, and expand prevention strategies for women at risk for the disease.

In addition, through the acquisition of tissue samples from IBC patients, our team is investigating the epidemiology of the disease, including its genetic associations.

IBC Program Contact Information

For more information about the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Program, call 617-632-2175.

To make an appointment, call 877-442-3324.

For referring physicians

To refer a patient for diagnosis and treatment for inflammatory breast cancer, call 877-332-4294.