Anastrozole: Thousands To Be Offered Drug To Prevent Breast Cancer In England [View all]

- BBC News, Nov. 7, 2023.

Tens of thousands of women in England could benefit from a drug that helps prevent breast cancer. Anastrozole, used for many years to treat the disease, has now been licensed as a preventative option.

Recent trials show the drug can reduce the incidence of breast cancer by almost 50% in post-menopausal women at moderate or high risk of the disease. Charities said it was "a major step forward" for women with a significant family history of the cancer.

An estimated 289,000 women could be eligible for the drug. And if one in four of these come forward, it could help prevent 2,000 cases of breast cancer in England, NHS England says, which could save the health service £15m in treatment costs.

Any woman worried about having a higher than normal risk of breast cancer can contact their GP, who can refer them to a specialist for a full risk assessment taking into account family history...

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-67337081