Is recurrent cancer the same as a second primary cancer?

No. Recurrent cancer and a second primary cancer are not the same thing.

Recurrent cancer is the original cancer coming back. It starts with cancer cells that the first treatment did not fully remove or destroy, which later grew into tumors your doctor can detect. When cancer spreads to a distant place, it is still the same type of cancer; for example, colon cancer that returns in the liver is still called colon cancer.

Sometimes a new type of cancer occurs in a person who has a history of cancer. When this happens, the new cancer is known as a second primary cancer. It is a different cancer, not a return of the first one. Your health care team can run tests to tell which situation applies and explain what it means for your care.