Background: DNA repair genes play a vital role in the treatment of many cancers, and DNA repair genes can be used in breast cancer recurrence and metastasis research. We found that the expression of DNA repair genes in breast cancer patients after recurrence and metastasis is abnormal, however, the clinical predictive significance of DNA repair genes is still elusive. Methods: The nested case-control method was used in patients with breast cancer recurrence and metastasis after surgery (n=109) and patients without recurrence and metastasis after surgery (n=109). The proteins and mRNA of DNA repair genes were detected by immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCR respectively. Results: PARP1(OR=1.485, 95%CI:1.279~1.725, P<0.05), XRCC4(OR= 1.419, 95%CI:1.217~ 1.656, P<0.05) and ERCC1 (OR=1.181, 95%CI: 1.032~1.353, P<0.05) were risk factors for postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer. Therefore, we used the ROC curve to study the optimal critical values of PARP1, XRCC4, and ERCC1, combined with the comprehensive judgment of clinical experience, we can conclude that PARP1 (cutoff value = 6, Se = 75.23%, Sp = 79.82%), XRCC4 (cutoff value = 6, Se = 78.9%0, Se = 79.82%), ERCC1 (cutoff value = 3, Se = 89.91%, Sp = 47.71%), suggesting that when the PARP1 score is higher than 6 or the XRCC4 score is higher than 6 or the ERCC1 score is higher than 3, the risk of recurrence and metastasis will increases (ORPARP1 = 14.941, 95% CIPARP1: 4.004~55.758, P <0.05; ORXRCC4 = 16.740, 95% CIXRCC4: 6.433 ~ 43.560, P <0.05; ORERCC1 = 5.285, 95% CIERCC1: 1.843 ~ 15.156, P <0.05). Due to PARP1, ERCC1 and XRCC4 belong to a part of DNA repair gene system, and the three proteins are positively correlated by correlation analysis (rPARP1-ERCC1=0.317; rPAPR1-XRCC4=0.329; rERCC1-XRCC4=0.377). The combined diagnosis of the PARR1,ERCC1 and XRCC4 have greater predictive value for the risk of recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer(Se = 88.99%, Sp = 82.57%;OR = 50.914, 95% CI: 10.918, 237.417, P <0.05).Conclusions: The recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer are predictive after PARP1>6, XRCC4>6, and ERCC1>3. The combined diagnosis of the three indicators have greater predictive value for the risk of recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer.