Personal History

Women with a personal history of breast cancer are at higher than average risk for developing a new cancer.

A woman with cancer in one breast has a three- to four-fold increased risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast.

This is different from a recurrence (return) of the first cancer. This means that in a group of 100 women who have had breast cancer, 15 to 20 would be expected to develop a new breast cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast.