The 5-year period 2+3 years after breast cancer surgery is a high-risk period for recurrence, especially the 1-2 year risk after surgery. Once breast cancer has recurred or metastasized, treatment will be more difficult and far more challenging than the first treatment approach. It is likely to be a direct threat to the patient’s life.
In general, there are 3 forms of postoperative recurrence of breast cancer: local recurrence, contralateral neoplasia, and distant distal metastases. Contralateral neoplasia refers to a breast cancer lesion in one breast that was invaded by cancer cells that occurs in the other breast after removal.
The 5-year period after breast cancer surgery is the peak of recurrence. During the 5-year period after surgery, a scientific approach should be taken to determine the course of treatment, while family members should encourage, reassure, and support the patient. Breast cancer, when treated surgically, reduces the overall risk of breast cancer recurrence and metastasis and significantly extends patient survival.
But don’t be fooled into thinking that you can rest easy after 5 years of breast cancer. It is common to find patients who have had fairly good results with early treatment, but who suddenly recur more than a decade later. In contrast, LUMINAL breast cancer, which accounts for 50% of all breast cancers, is very sensitive to endocrine therapy, but if patients do not adhere to treatment, they are still at risk of recurrence and metastasis. Available clinical statistics show that about 25% of patients have poor adherence to long-term endocrine therapy, which poses a potential risk to long-term outcomes. Therefore, the fight against breast cancer is a constant battle.
Distant metastasis refers to the transfer of breast cancer tumor cells through the blood, nerve, and lymphatic systems to other parts of the patient’s body, such as the bones, lungs, liver, and other organs and tissues. Nearly 2/3 of breast cancer recurrences usually cause metastasis, which is a more frequent form of recurrence after breast cancer surgery and has a higher mortality rate.
Some data suggest that patient survival is significantly lower if distant metastases occur after breast cancer surgery. For example, the 5-year survival rate for lung metastases from breast is only 12%; for bone metastases, the 5-year survival rate is 16%; and for liver metastases, the 5-year survival rate is almost zero. The physicians suggest that breast cancer patients should be actively reviewed and screened after surgery to capture the critical period of treatment 1-3 years after surgery.
Another form of postoperative recurrence is localized recurrence, which is less malignant, involves only localized cancerous lesions, and has more treatment options.