A local/regional recurrence of breast cancer after BCT or mastectomy i
s an infrequent event. Many of the factors which place patients at ris
k for development of metastatic disease also lead to an increased risk
for development of local/regional recurrence. A local recurrence afte
r BCT is usually managed by completion mastectomy with good long-term
survival. Regional recurrence after BCT and local/regional recurrence
after mastectomy are associated with distant metastasis and relatively
poor long-term survival. When planning treatment of a local/regional
recurrence of a breast cancer, patient status and patient desires shou
ld be considered in addition to the biological behavior of the tumor.