The 51-year-old first said he was suffering from a form of lymphoma in 2012 but after chemotherapy he said in June 2013 the tumours had been eroded and he was clear of the disease.
Crowe was, however, told it could possibly return, which he confirmed on Wednesday.
"After a brilliant year of self discovery and recovery I have more work to do," he wrote on his Twitter page on Wednesday. "My friend & tough taskmaster Lymphoma is back to teach me."
Crowe told local media he had recently visited his doctor for back pain and was told the cancer had come back.
"You never beat lymphoma," he told Fairfax Media on Wednesday. "But I was hopeful that after the first episode I might be clear for a few years; I felt very well.
"I will now have to have further treatment."
Widely regarded as New Zealand's best batsman, Crowe scored 5,444 runs in 77 tests at an average of 45.36 with a highest score of 299 against Sri Lanka.
That was the highest score by a New Zealand batsman until current captain Brendon McCullum scored 302 earlier this year against India.
Crowe also scored 4,704 runs at 38.55 in 143 one-day internationals and captained the side during the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand where his innovative tactics and batting drove them to the semi-finals.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by xxxxx)
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