Personal history of breast cancer
Breast cancer survivors have an increased risk of developing a new case of breast cancer compared to those who have never had breast cancer. A new cancer is called a second primary breast cancer. Unlike a recurrent tumor, which is the return of the first breast cancer, a second primary tumor is a new cancer unrelated to the first. Women treated with a lumpectomy (also called breast conserving surgery) for their first breast cancer can develop a second cancer in either breast. Women treated with mastectomy for their first cancer can only (except in rare instances) develop new cancers in the opposite breast. After either type of treatment, risk of a second breast cancer increases over time. Close to five percent of women develop a second breast cancer eight years after their initial diagnoses and about 12 percent 20 years after their initial diagnoses [50,51].
Personal history of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a condition where large numbers of abnormal cells grow in the ducts of the breast (to see the anatomy of the breast, click here). DCIS often develops into invasive cancer. The chances are high enough that the condition is almost always treated with surgery aimed at removing all of the abnormal cells. Surgery may be followed by radiation therapy and hormone therapy.
For more on diagnosing DCIS, see the Diagnosis section.
For more on management options, see the Treatment section.
Personal history of Hodgkin's disease or other cancers
Women who have a history of certain other cancers also have an increased risk of breast cancer. For example, women who had Hodgkin's disease in childhood or early adulthood are about 15 to 25 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who never had Hodgkin's disease [43,52]. This risk appears to be greater among women treated with radiation therapy for their Hodgkin's compared to those treated with chemotherapy alone [43,52]. There is also some evidence that Hodgkin's disease itself may be related to breast cancer risk [40]. However, women who develop and are treated for Hodgkin's at later ages (even with radiation) do not appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer [52].
In addition to Hodgkin's disease, several other cancers have also been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, including ovarian, uterine, colon and thyroid cancers, as well as melanoma [53]. The exact reasons for these links aren't known, though it is likely related to shared genetic components between the cancers [53].
Updated 08/21/09
