Breast cancer - What will happen?

It can be hard to look at a statistic that is supposed to tell you how long a woman with a certain type of breast cancer will live. It's important to realise that no one can say for certain what will happen to you. Breast cancer isn't always a predictable disease.

But it is important to know that:

Doctors usually talk about the percentage of women who will be alive five years after being treated with breast cancer. This is because the risk that breast cancer will come back is highest in the first five years
But being alive five years later doesn't necessarily mean that you have been completely cured. You will probably always need to be watchful and have regular check-ups, even after 20 years
Breast cancer is an unpredictable disease, and sometimes women who were told that they had very advanced breast cancer have nonetheless become long-term survivors.

If you want more information, see Survival rates for breast cancer. But please remember that you are an individual. Statistics cannot tell you what will happen in your specific case.

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.