What are the complications of breast cancer recurrence?

What are the complications of breast cancer recurrence?

Breast cancer that comes back can be harder to treat. The same therapy isn’t always effective again. Tumors can develop a tolerance to certain treatments like chemotherapy. Your healthcare provider will try other therapies. You may be able to try drugs under development in clinical trials.

If breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, your healthcare providers still treat it like breast cancer. For instance, breast cancer cells that move to the lungs cause breast cancer in the lungs — not lung cancer. Metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer is more difficult to treat than cancer in only one part of the body.

You may feel stressed, depressed or anxious. A mental health counselor and support groups can help.