Background &amp
Aims: True local recurrences (TR) and new primary tumors (NP) in the conserved breast after breast-conserving surgery with radiation therapy are determined by the initial surgical margin, the location of recurrent tumors and the histological consistency between initial tumors and recurrent tumors. Methods : A total of 15 patients with breast recurrence out of a group of 389 women with breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving therapy between 1991 and 2003 were included in this study. The biological differences between TR and NP were examined. Results: Eight patients had TR, and seven had NP. The disease-free interval was 34.6 months in the TR group and 94.1 in the NP group. Breast-free survival was significantly better in the NP group than the TR group. The accumulated 10-year overall survival after salvage surgery in patients with TR or NP tumors was 85.1%. The accumulated overall survival after salvage surgery was better in the NP group than the TR group. Conclusions : Patients with NP tumors have a favorable prognosis compared to those with TR tumors. It is important to determine the type of breast recurrence in order to accurately predict the prognosis of patients with breast recurrence.