Breast cancer recovery not linked to family history

Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer and have a family history of the disease may recover after treatment just as well as other women with breast cancer, new research says.

"Successful treatment for breast cancer is just as likely in young patients with a family history of breast cancer, as in those without a family history," said one of the researchers Ramsey Cutress, associate professor in breast surgery at the University of Southampton in Britain.

"Patients with a family history of breast cancer can, therefore, be reassured that their family history alone does not mean that their outcome will be worse," Cutress noted.

About one-quarter of breast cancer cases in developed countries are thought to be related to hereditary factors, the study noted.

It can be scary for a woman to know that she has a family history of the disease, but after diagnosis, what is her prognosis compared with patients without a family history?

To answer this question, the researchers conducted an analysis of 2,850 women under age 41, who were diagnosed with breast cancer and treated in Britain.

The investigators found that there were no significant differences in cancer recurrence rates after treatment for women with a history of breast cancer versus those without.

The study was published in the British Journal of Surgery.