Risk of certain breast cancers coming back remains for at least 20 years after treatment

The risk of a certain type of breast cancer coming back in other parts of the body stays constant for at least 20 years after treatment, according to a large study. The research, carried out by The Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group, collected data from more than 60,000 women who had been diagnosed with hormone sensitive breast cancer (usually called oestrogen receptor positive or ER+ breast cancer) between 1976 and 2011. All of the patients were given a type of anti-oestrogen therapy, such as tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor, for five years as part of their treatment. At the five year mark the women