Breast cancer relapse — also known as breast cancer recurrence or recurrent breast cancer — happens when breast cancer comes back months or years after treatment was completed. The risk of relapse after breast cancer treatment is different for everyone.

Although many risk factors for breast cancer relapse are beyond your control, some can be changed or modified. Eating a healthy diet and making certain other lifestyle changes can help you manage certain risk factors. A 2023 study of people diagnosed with high-risk breast cancer found that closely following healthy lifestyle recommendations was linked with a 37 percent lower risk of recurrence and a 58 percent lower risk of dying.

Read on to find out what steps you can take that may lower your risk of breast cancer relapse.

A study of people diagnosed with high-risk breast cancer found that following healthy lifestyle recommendations lowered the risk of recurrence by 37 percent.

1. Eat a Healthy Diet

The foods you eat can influence your risk of breast cancer relapse and your overall health. The American Cancer Society recommends that all cancer survivors with stable health after treatment follow the same nutrition guidelines for cancer prevention.

No single food or group of foods has been proven to reduce breast cancer relapse risk. The research on the link between diet and risk of breast cancer relapse focuses on broad patterns of eating instead of individual foods. In general, findings have shown that breast cancer survivors who eat a healthy low-fat diet tend to live longer than those who don’t follow that type of eating plan. However, researchers can’t be sure if the longer life span is due to the effect on breast cancer or from the benefits to overall health.

How To Make a Change

You can improve your diet in many ways and still enjoy foods you love.

A healthy diet includes foods like these:

• Whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, and oats
• Colorful fruits and vegetables, especially dark green, orange, and red produce
• Legumes, such as beans and peas
• Lean protein, such as chicken, fish, and lentils

Foods to limit or avoid include:

• Red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb
• Processed meat, such as sausage, bacon, and lunch meat
• Fast food
• Foods high in saturated fat, such as butter, cake, and full-fat dairy products
• Sugary beverages, such as regular soda, fruit drinks, and sports drinks

If you have questions about how to improve your diet to reduce your risk of breast cancer relapse, ask your health care provider for a referral to a registered dietitian.

2. Stay Physically Active

Regular exercise can have several benefits for breast cancer survivors. Some studies suggest that being physically active may lead to better survival for people with breast cancer.

Aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Brisk walking, gardening, or a slow bike riding all count.

Although research hasn’t proved that exercise reduces the risk of cancer recurrence, regular exercise offers many other potential benefits, including:

• Reduced depression
• Improved mood
• Enhanced self-esteem
• Relief of symptoms such as tiredness, nausea, pain, and diarrhea

How To Make a Change

Your health care provider may recommend that you avoid strenuous activity right after surgery. However, you should try to return to your normal daily routine as soon as possible after treatment, and limit how much time you spend sitting or lying down.

To get the most benefit, aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. Moderate-intensity physical activity includes activities that make you breathe harder, such as:

• Brisk walking
• Slower bicycling
• Water aerobics
• Tennis
• Ballroom dancing
• Gardening

You can substitute or mix in vigorous-intensity activities for 75 to 150 minutes per week. These activities make your heart beat faster, breathe faster, and sweat more, such as:

• Running or jogging
• Hiking uphill
• Swimming
• Jumping rope
• Cycling uphill
• Heavy gardening
• Aerobic dancing

It’s also important to add strength training exercises at least two days each week. Arm exercises, such as lifting weights, don’t seem to increase the risk of lymphedema (swelling) in breast cancer survivors.

In general, the more physical activity you get, the better — but be patient with yourself. One MyBCTeam member shared, “It took me months before I could really do my exercises. Chemotherapy made me very short of breath. I still get shortness of breath, but I’m able to move on with my exercise.” Ask your health care team for help creating a safe exercise plan for you.

3. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Having a higher body weight has been linked to a greater risk of complications of breast cancer, including breast cancer recurrence and lymphedema.

Maintaining a healthy weight can be difficult for many people. It’s common to gain weight during some types of breast cancer treatment. Researchers are studying whether weight loss during or after breast cancer treatment can help reduce the risk of these complications.

It’s common to gain weight with some types of breast cancer treatment. Collaborate with your doctor to set a target weight and work toward it.

Maintaining a healthy body weight does provide known benefits such as:

• Improved quality of life
• Better ability to function
• Lower risk of chronic (long-term) health conditions
• Reduced risk of new cancers

How To Make a Change

Eating a healthy diet and staying physically active can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Work with your health care team to figure out what a healthy goal weight is for you.

4. Don’t Smoke

Smoking is linked to a long list of health problems, including a higher risk of many types of cancer. Some studies specifically link smoking to an increased risk of breast cancer.

How To Make a Change

If you don’t smoke, it’s best not to start. If you do smoke, talk with your health care team about getting support to quit.

What About Dietary Supplements To Prevent Breast Cancer Relapse?

Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements. At this time, researchers haven’t found that any supplement can reduce the risk of breast cancer relapse. However, research on the effects of dietary supplements on cancer prevention is ongoing.

It’s important to know that dietary supplements don’t have to be proven safe or effective before they’re sold. Many supplements have significant risks of side effects and drug interactions with cancer treatments. High levels of some nutrients can even have harmful effects on cancer survivors. That’s why it’s important to talk to your health care team before starting any new dietary supplement, and make sure all your doctors know about any supplements you take.

Partner With Your Health Care Team

Work closely with your cancer care team to learn the best ways to reduce your risk of relapse and maintain good overall health. In addition to making healthy lifestyle changes, be sure to participate in all recommended follow-ups, such as mammograms and other scans, blood tests, and regular checkups.

The possibility of breast cancer relapse can cause anxiety for many people. Making healthy lifestyle changes is one way to take control of your health.

“In this journey, so much is in the realm of the unknown,” shared one MyBCTeam member. “One thing I found helpful was to take control of what I could, like the lifestyle factors that are now being connected to breast cancer risk. I’ve changed my nutrition habits, and I am as active as I can be.”

Another member shared this thought: “Diet and exercise are the best ways we can influence our own health.”

Meet Others Who Understand

MyBCTeam is the social network for people with breast cancer and their loved ones. On MyBCTeam, 73,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with breast cancer.

Have you made any lifestyle changes to lower your risk of breast cancer recurrence? Have you discussed your risk for relapse with your oncology team? Share in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.