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This topic provides information about breast cancer that has spread or come back after treatment. If you are looking for information about first-time diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, see the topic Breast Cancer.

What are metastatic and recurrent breast cancer?

Breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in one or both breasts. Treatment often cures breast cancer if it is found before it has spread.

But even after treatment that seemed to work, cancer can come back (recur) or spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Cancer that comes back in or near the original site is called locally recurrent breast cancer. Cancer that spreads to other parts of the body is called metastatic breast cancer.

For most women who have had breast cancer, their greatest fear is that the cancer will come back or spread. Finding out this has happened can turn your world upside down. But there is hope. Treatment can often cure recurrent breast cancer. Although metastatic breast cancer usually cannot be cured, treatment can help you manage the disease and live longer. Some women live for many years, managing their cancer like a long-term health problem.

Why does breast cancer come back after treatment?

Even with the best treatment, cancer can come back. If just a small cluster of cancer cells remains in your body, those cells can spread through the blood or lymph system and grow. This may happen from a few months to many years after the first diagnosis.

If your breast cancer has come back, you may be tempted to second-guess your previous treatment choices. But the fact is, there is no guarantee with any treatment.

The treatment decisions you and your doctor made in the past were the right ones at that time. But now it is time to make new decisions and explore other treatment options.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms depend on where the cancer is and how large it is. The most common places for breast cancer to spread are within the breast or to the nearby chest wall or to the liver, lungs, or bones. Common symptoms include a lump in your breast or on your chest wall, bone pain, or shortness of breath.

You may not have any symptoms. Sometimes recurrent or metastatic breast cancer is found with an X-ray or lab test.

How is it treated?

To plan your treatment, your doctor will consider where the cancer is and what type of treatment you had in the past. Your wishes and quality of life are also important factors. Treatment choices may include surgery, medicines like chemotherapy or hormone therapy, and radiation. Sometimes a mix of these treatments is used.