Study: Local Breast Cancer Recurrence Earlier in Patients Who Had Mastectomies

Breast cancer recurred locally in patients who had mastectomies nine months earlier on average than in patients who had breast-conserving surgery, according to researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians University - Munich, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen Hospital in Germany.

Local tumor recurrence, according to researchers, has a major impact on survival rates. Prior studies have shown a lower survival rate in patients with local recurrence after mastectomy than after breast conservation surgery but different risk profiles at the time of diagnosis may play a part in that finding.

Researchers conducted a matched pair analysis of 134 women with newly diagnosed local recurrent breast cancer. Matching criteria included primary surgical treatment, tumor size, lymph node status and age. The median follow up of the women was 8.4 years.

Local recurrence occurred an average of nine months earlier in patients after mastectomy. Lymph node status and disease-free time period from primary treatment to local recurrence appeared to be the most significant factors for survival after local recurrence, according to the study published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology.

Other sources: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology