New Delhi, July 2 -- justify;">Recurrence means that cancer has come back after initial treatment and a period during which it could not be detected. Even after successful treatment, some cancer cells may survive in the body and remain dormant for months or years before starting to grow again.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Radheshyam Naik, Consultant, Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at Sammprada Multi-speciality Hospital in Bengaluru, shared that recurrence can happen months or even years after treatment, which is why long-term follow-up is crucial. Types of breast cancer recurrence:

1. Local recurrence: The cancer returns in the same breast or in the scar from a mastectomy.

2. Regional recurrence: The cancer comes back in ...