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.