A new study finds that breast cancer survivors have a good chance of escaping recurrence after five years of remaining cancer-free.

Lead researcher Abenaa Brewster and a team of scientists evaluated 2,838 breast cancer patients whose disease ranged from stage I to III. All had been treated with some form of adjuvant systemic therapy (such as chemo) between 1985 and 2001 and remained disease-free for five years, which is traditionally considered a landmark in cancer survival. About 10 years after the diagnosis, 89% of the women remained recurrence-free. After 15 years, about 80% remained recurrence-free. In all, 216 patients developed a recurrence.

The study also found that the risk or recurrence varied by stage and tumor type. Those women with stage-I disease had a 7% chance of relapse; stage II, 11%; and stage III, 13%.

Brewster told the Wall Street Journal that the findings may give breast cancer survivors a new outlook on life.

"Patients often ask me, ‘Now that I’ve survived my breast cancer, what is my future risk of a recurrence?’" said Brewster, a medical oncologist at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. "This is an answer we’ve had a hard time giving. They remain really terrified about their risk."

The new findings are published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Click here to read more about this study.