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Risk of third recurrence?

Page last modified on: April 16, 2011

Question from SaraL: After undergoing cancer recurrence to the same right breast within a two-year time span, I would like to know what the chances are of the cancer recurring for a third time? Initial diagnosis was at the age of 37, and the second diagnosis was at the age of 39.: Answer —Marisa Weiss, M.D., Breastcancer.org president and founder: If you experience a breast cancer recurrence that is limited to the same breast where it started, this may be very effectively treated by mastectomy. After mastectomy, before recurrence, the risk of a second recurrence can be relatively low, depending on the nature of the recurrence. The risk of a second recurrence depends on tumor size, tumor grade, lymphatic/vascular invasion, the status of the margins, hormone receptors, whether the skin is involved or not, and if there is lymph node involvement.

If you are a young woman and you've had breast cancer twice, you may have inherited a genetic abnormality that could have contributed to each of these cancers. If a woman does have an inherited genetic abnormality, she is at increased risk for developing new breast cancers—on either side—over the course of her lifetime. It may be very helpful for you to seek further information from a skilled genetic counselor working together with your doctor to see if this is an issue for you or not.

On Wednesday, September 17, 2003, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Metastatic Breast Cancer. Musa Mayer, Eric P. Winer, M.D., and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about treatment and quality of life issues related to advanced (metastatic) breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of Breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Musa Mayer is a trained counselor with a specialty in women's issues, a patient advocate for the National Cancer Institute and has written a memoir of her own experiences with breast cancer.

Eric Winer, M.D. is director of the breast oncology center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Gillette Centers for Women's Cancers and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

Breastcancer.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information and community to those touched by this disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information.

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