The biological significance of locoregional recurrence following breast conserving therapy

Abstract

Although locoregional recurrence of breast cancer following mastectomy is usually a harbinger of systemic failure, patients experiencing locoregional disease recurrence after breast-conservation therapy enjoy a better prognosis. Tumor recrudescences after a breast-preserving surgical procedure represent both residual tumor and new primary breast carcinomas. Patient prognosis is dependent on the biological characteristics of both the original and recurrent neoplasms. At present, the best predictor of patient outcome is the extent of disease at the times of treatment. While many studies report no statistically significant adverse impact of locoregional recurrence on survival, small sample sizes may obscure such an effect.