ObjectiveTo investigate the prognostic factors for inflammatory breast cancer based on the data from West China Hospital with a relatively large sample. MethodsClinical data of 41 patients with histopathologically confirmed inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) who received treatment at West China Hospital Oncology Center of Sichuan University between January 2009 and December 2014 were collected and analyzed. Log-rank test and Cox regression model were used for statistical analysis. ResultsIn the study, negative estrogen receptor, negative progestrone receptor and positive human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 were identified in 58.5%, 61.0% and 34.2% of the inflammatory breast cancer tissues, respectively. Progress free survival (PFS) were between 2 and 60 months, with a median of 35 months. Univariate analysis showed that Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) stage (P=0.016) and therapeutic effect (P=0.002) influenced the survival. Multivariate analysis showed that TNM stage (P=0.006), therapeutic effect (P=0.002), and anthracycline-taxane based chemotherapy (P=0.041) were the significant prognostic factors. ConclusionTNM stage is the major prognostic factor for IBC. Preoperative chemotherapy with paclitaxel-epirubicin combination can improve the PFS of IBC. Comprehensive treatment mode with operation is recommended for the treatment of IBC.