Described are methods for assessing recurrence status in a breast cancer patient that include assaying a biological sample from the patient for a level of a biomarker selected from such as S100β or HOX-C1I, where positive detection of one or both of the biomarkers indicates a positive recurrence status. The method can be used for prognosis of poor disease free survival in a breast cancer patient, where positive detection of one or both of the biomarkers indicates poor disease survival. The method may also be used for diagnosis of recurrence, where positive detection of circulating S100β is a diagnostic variable of recurrence. The method of diagnosis is carried out on a patient who is undergoing first line therapy and/or a patient who has had surgery to remove a primary breast tumour.