NICE backs preventative treatment for breast cancer

A major change could be set to take place in breast cancer treatment in the UK following the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (NICE's) decision to recommend preventative treatments for at-risk patients.

The regulator has updated its guidance to state that particular groups of women with a family history of cancer should receive therapy with tamoxifen or raloxifene through the NHS.

Studies suggest that these drugs can help to prevent breast cancer if they are taken for five years.

Professor Mark Baker, director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE, said: "Although neither drug is licensed as a preventative treatment in the UK, clinical evidence shows they are an effective option for many women and could be preferable to surgery."

Currently, at-risk women are given the option to receive annual cancer screenings to catch the disease earlier or to undergo pre-emptive surgery to have their breasts and/or ovaries removed, making this new method a potentially attractive alternative.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in the UK, with around 50,000 women and 400 men being diagnosed with the disease each year.