How breast cancer recurrences and new contralateral primaries are detected in practice

In 4,417 breast cancer survivors, 78.0% of recurrences were symptom-detected, 9.9% by mammogram, 5.0% by provider exam; 70.0% were metastatic. Contralateral new primaries were found by mammography in 82.8%. Provider exams rarely detected second events.

• In 4,417 women with early breast cancer, 17.9% had a second breast event: 13.1% recurrence, 4.9% contralateral new primary.
• Recurrences were mostly metastatic (70.0%) and detected by symptoms (78.0%); only 9.9% by mammography and 5.0% by provider exam.
• Contralateral new primaries were primarily imaging-detected (82.8% by mammography) with better prognosis.

Automated summary

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