OBJECTIVETo compare and analyze the data of breast cancer recurrence after breast-conserving therapy (BCT), and to find high risk factors that can affect local recurrence.

METHODSA total of 1034 patients in the data base between January 2000 and June 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients aged 23 to 94 years when diagnosed (median age, 48 years). The data was investigated to compare of two different groups in local recurrence rate and survival rate. The high risk factors of recurrence after BCT [estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2), age, lymph node involvement, tumor diameter, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, pathological status] were studied.

RESULTSThe patients were followed-up to June 2010, and the median period was 42 months (range, 3-126 months). During the period, 35 patients developed ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (3.3%), 47 patients had metastasis to distant organs (4.5%). The 5-year disease-free survival was 87.7%, 5-year distant disease-free survival was 94.0%. The lymph node status, HER-2 status and age were significant risk factors for ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence on univariate analysis. One peak recurrence period was from the 2nd to 3rd year, and the other was from the 5th to 6th year after the operation. The HER-2 status was independent factors of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence on multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONSThe recurrence happens primarily in the 2nd to 3rd and the 5th to 6th year after the breast-conserving therapy. HER-2 status is an independent factor of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence. The patients with high risk factors of recurrence should be treated more aggressively.