Five-year breast cancer survivors see little relapse

NEW YORK A study released Tuesday has found that women diagnosed with breast cancer who survive five years have decreased risk of relapse.

The study, published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, also found that 89 percent of patients don’t relapse 10 years after diagnosis, and 81 percent don’t relapse after 15 years.

Led by assistant professor Abenaa Brewster at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the study looked at 2,838 patients who had received surgery to remove tumors and had taken cancer medication.