Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
Breast cancer is a life-altering condition. Recurrent breast cancer happens when the illness comes back after the initial treatment. This can happen months or years after having the initial diagnosis. For many women, a second diagnosis of breast cancer can be more mentally and physically draining. However, there are certain signs to be aware of that can cause the disease to make a return appearance. Knowing your risks is important to every woman who has lived through the first diagnosis.
The Facts
According to The American Cancer Society breast cancer is the most commonly occurring type of cancer and has affected 2.4 million women at least once. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Unfortunately, studies have found that breast cancer reoccurrence and death rates increase with age.
Lymph Nodes
Many physicians will tell you that when lymph nodes are involved the risk is raised that the cancer will recur. Also, the Mayo Clinic reports that the more lymph nodes the higher the risk levels. This is one reason that many physicians ask their patients to undergo intensive radiation therapy after receiving this diagnosis.
Tumor Size
In general, women who have larger tumors that involve the lymph nodes face a larger risk of recurrence than women who have smaller tumors or tumors that do not involve lymph nodes. The Mayo Clinic reports that tumors that are larger than 2 inches are of particular concern.
Radiation Therapy
According to the website for the Mayo Clinic, a woman who chooses to have a lumpectomy to treat breast cancer should also undergo radiation therapy after the procedure. Studies have shown that not having radiation therapy can result in a recurrence of the disease.
Age
Age can be a big factor in the recurrence of breast cancer. Women that were younger than 35 when they had their original breast cancer diagnosis face a much larger risk of recurrence than women who are first diagnosed later in life.
Tags: breast cancer, Mayo Clinic, radiation therapy, tumors that, Breast Cancer, breast cancer, Breast Cancer Recurrence
