Overview
Breast cancer recurrence is when you have breast cancer that comes back (recurs) after treatment. Breast cancer can come back months or years after you’ve finished treatment. Healthcare providers can treat recurrent breast cancer, but it can come back again.
What are the types of breast cancer recurrence?
The type depends on where the cancer comes back:
- Local: Cancer returns in the same breast (chest) area as the original tumor.
- Regional: Cancer comes back near the original tumor, in lymph nodes in your armpit (axillary lymph nodes) or in or around your collarbone area.
- Distant: Breast cancer spreads away from the original tumor to your lungs, bones, brain or other parts of your body. This is metastatic breast cancer, often referred to as Stage 4 breast cancer.
If cancer in one breast goes away after treatment but you develop it in your other untreated breast, the tumor is considered new cancer and not recurrent breast cancer. Healthcare providers may refer to this as second cancer.
What breast cancer types have the highest recurrence rate?
According to the American Cancer Society, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are more likely to come back than other breast cancer types and subtypes.
How common is recurrent breast cancer?
It’s relatively uncommon, but the specific rate of recurrence depends on factors, like your breast cancer stage and treatment.
What is the average time for breast cancer recurrence?
Most local recurrences of breast cancer occur within five years of a lumpectomy. You can lower your risk by getting radiation therapy afterward. You have a 3% to 15% chance of breast cancer recurrence within 10 years with this combined treatment. Based on genetic testing, your provider may recommend additional treatments to further reduce your risk.
Recurrence rates for people who have mastectomies vary:
- There’s a 6% chance that cancer will recur within five years if healthcare providers didn’t find cancer in your axillary lymph nodes during your original surgery.
- There’s a 25% chance of cancer recurrence if your axillary lymph nodes are cancerous. This risk drops to 6% if you receive radiation therapy after a mastectomy.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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