Dr Simon Vincent, director of research, support and influencing at Breast Cancer Now, said:
“With more people surviving breast cancer than ever before, we know that many men and women worry about the disease returning or developing a second primary cancer elsewhere in their body, with younger people and those from deprived backgrounds appearing to be at a higher risk.
“While this may occur due to genetic factors or the effects of initial breast cancer treatment, more research is needed to fully understand the reasons why second primary cancers sometimes develop elsewhere in the body and to determine what follow-up would be appropriate for people who have finished hospital treatment for primary breast cancer.
“We encourage anyone who is concerned about any new or unusual breast changes to speak to their treatment team or GP, or call Breast Cancer Now’s free helpline on 0808 800 6000 and speak to one of our expert nurses.”
ENDS