What Happens

Breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in one or both breasts. Breast cancer can come back in or near the original location after treatment (recur) and affect nearby lymph nodes.

Cancer cells also can travel from the breast, either through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, to other parts of the body and cause cancer in a new location (metastasize). Metastatic breast cancer can be present when a woman is first diagnosed with breast cancer, or it may occur months to years after treatment.

Your medical team will put together a treatment plan for you. This plan will be based on many things, such as the stage of your cancer, whether the cancer is hormone-receptor positive, and what treatments you may have had in the past.

To learn more about treatment, see Treatment Overview.

What Increases Your Risk

You have a risk of having metastatic or recurrent breast cancer if you have ever had breast cancer. Older women have the highest risk. But no one can say for sure whether breast cancer will come back or metastasize.