Breast cancer recurrence 27 years after full recovery; A case report with literature review.

INTRODUCTION

Breast cancer can recur after a decade of healthy life. The purpose of this study is to describe a rare case of breast cancer recurrence after 27 years of full recovery.

CASE REPORT

A 67-year-old married nulliparous (G1P0A1) female presented with a few weeks of left axillary swelling. She is a known case of left breast cancer that was identified and treated in 1994 with a standard mastectomy without axillary intervention. An ultrasound and mammography imaging revealed a normal right breast and a clear left breast bed. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) revealed metastasized ductal carcinoma of the breast. The patient underwent general anesthesia and axillary dissection for level I and II axillary lymph node groups.

DISCUSSION

The incidence of recurrence in axillary lymph nodes following excision of the original tumor in breast cancer patients varies according to the surgical approach, ranging from 0.8% to 8.6%. Patients with breast cancer who have a positive estrogen receptor are at a higher risk of delayed recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Breast cancer can recur even 27 years after being diagnosed and treated. This demonstrates the significance of continuing follow-up in patients diagnosed with breast cancer throughout their lives.