Personal history of breast cancer
Breast cancer can recur soon after the first cancer was diagnosed and treated or many years later. It can return in the same breast as the original cancer, in the other breast or in another part of the body.
Because having a personal history of breast cancer is a risk factor for recurrence, talk to your health care provider about what your follow-up care will include when your active cancer treatment ends. It may include the following:
Personal history of childhood cancer
A personal history of other types of cancer like childhood sarcomas and Hodgkin's disease may increase your risk of developing breast cancer later in life, especially if your previous cancer required imaging with chest X-rays or was treated using radiation to the chest.
Studies have found that people who received chest radiation therapy as a child are at an increased risk for breast cancer. Research has also shown that the risk of breast cancer in female survivors of childhood cancers rises with the dose of radiation therapy received.
Reducing your breast cancer risk
If you have a personal history of cancer, or had radiation therapy or chest X-rays before the age of 30, speak to a health care provider about your primary diagnosis, previous radiation exposure and family cancer history.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation encourages you to learn about your breast health, breast cancer risk, ways to reduce your risk, and the benefits and limitations of screening for the earlier detection of breast cancer. To inform your decisions, we also encourage you to speak to a health care provider.
Established risk factors
Sources
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Ontario Region. (2010). Earlier Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: A Report from It's About Time! A Consensus Conference.
Mayo Clinic. Recurrent Cancer. Accessed July 31, 2011.
National Cancer Institute (US). Late Effects from Childhood/Adolescent Hodgkin Lymphoma Therapy. Accessed July 31, 2011.