Scientific highlights and perspectives from the International Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symposium 2025

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare yet highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer, characterized by distinct clinical features, rapid progression, and complex biology. Despite decades of research, patient outcomes remain poor, underscoring the need for innovative approaches. The International IBC Symposium 2025 convened global experts to discuss advances in the field and to outline strategic priorities for research and clinical care. This report summarizes the key themes discussed. A major topic was IBC biology, with particular emphasis on tumor emboli formation and tumor microenvironment interactions, which shape the distinctive characteristics of the disease. Updates in molecular and immune profiling were presented, illustrating how these data may guide personalized therapeutic approaches. From a therapeutic standpoint, the importance of trimodal therapy in patients with nonmetastatic IBC was reinforced, while highlighting the need to investigate novel agents, rational drug combinations, and biologically informed strategies to improve outcomes. Additional sessions addressed optimization of locoregional management, even for selected patients with metastatic disease. Experts also discussed emerging technologies, including spatial transcriptomics, artificial intelligence tools, and liquid biopsy, as promising methods to advance disease characterization, facilitate earlier detection, and refine disease monitoring. Finally, a common theme across presentations was the critical importance of expanding awareness and education, as well as fostering global collaboration through the IBC International Consortium to standardize diagnosis, accelerate translational research, and ensure equitable access to care. Collectively, these efforts aim to redefine the clinical trajectory of IBC and move the field closer to achieving durable disease control and, ultimately, curative outcomes.