Surveillance of women with a personal history of breast cancer by tumour subtype

Aim To determine if the rate and timing of a second breast cancer event (SBCE) in women with a personal history of breast cancer varies by disease subtype or breast imaging method. Materials and methods A retrospective review was performed of women with a SBCE from January 2006 to December 2010 at a single institution. Data analysed included oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status of the primary and second breast cancers; mammographic and ultrasound (US) features from SBCE; and the time interval between both events. Results Of 207 patients diagnosed with a SBCE, the median age at first diagnosis was 50.6 years, range 24.8 to 80.2; at second diagnosis was 56.2 years, range 25.8 to 87.9. Eleven percent of SBCE were diagnosed >10 years after the primary cancer diagnosis. The median time between the first and second diagnosis for ER-positive patients was 2.7 years (range 0.7–17.4 years); and 1.9 years for ER-negative patients, (range 0.4–23.4 years; p