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Frequently asked questions about risk of recurrence

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with early breast cancer, you probably have questions about the risk or recurrence, or the risk that the disease will come back after the initial treatment. While you'll find answers to some of those questions here, the best way to get the information you need is to speak directly to your doctor. Together, you and your doctor can decide upon the best course of treatment to lower your risk of recurrence.

• What is the risk of breast cancer recurrence?
• If I've had a lumpectomy or mastectomy, can my breast cancer come back?
• What treatment should I be taking to help lower the risk of my breast cancer recurring?
• What is adjuvant therapy?

Answers to frequently asked questions about risk of recurrence

The risk of recurrence is highest within the first five years of diagnosis, yet no studies have proven that there is a specific time when a breast cancer patient will be completely free of the risk of recurrence. There are many variables that factor into a person's risk of recurrence. Talk to your physician to learn more about your personal risk for recurrence.

It's possible for breast cancer to recur (come back) in some women even after surgery to partially or completely remove the breast. Breast cancer can recur either locally, regionally, or as distant disease. Local recurrence occurs in the breast where the cancer first started, or in the skin and underlying tissues where the breast used to be. Regional recurrence occurs in the lymph nodes near the affected breast. Distant recurrence occurs in other parts of the body, such as the lung, liver, bone, or brain.

Treatment to lower the risk of recurrence is called "adjuvant" treatment. There are different types of adjuvant treatment, including chemotherapy and hormonal treatment. Talk to your doctor about which treatments might be best for you.

Adjuvant means "in addition to." In breast cancer, this means that you receive another therapy in addition to your primary or initial treatment, such as surgery with or without radiation. The reason is that after surgery, a small number of microscopic cancer cells may remain in your body. Not all patients have these cells, but if you do, they can continue to multiply. Adjuvant therapy helps to prevent or delay these cells from multiplying, and it may decrease the chance that your breast cancer will recur (come back).