Breast cancer drug made accessible to 289,000 women in England

Anastrozole, a breast cancer prevention drug, is to be made accessible to postmenopausal women who have a family history of breast cancer to help prevent the disease

Around 289,000 women in England were identified as being at moderate or high risk of breast cancer due to their family history. They will now have the opportunity to reduce this risk by up to 50% through medication, which will make a significant advancement in battling breast cancer, according to the NHS. From Tuesday, the drug will be accessible to women.

Preventative treatment with Anastrozole

The drug, Anastrozole, is now being made accessible to women facing an elevated risk due to their postmenopausal status and significant familial ties to the most prevalent cancer in Britain. The Guardian reported that the NHS leader described Anastrozole as ” remarkable” in lowering the risk of breast cancer developing.

Every year, around 56,000 women in the UK receive a diagnosis of breast cancer, equating to around 150 cases daily. Although survival rates have improved, the disease still claims around 11,500 lives annually.

Eligibility criteria

Patients will take a 1mg tablet of the drug once daily for a five-year duration. For the first time, the drug already being used to treat the condition is being adapted to help prevent the disease.

Not all patients taking Anastrozole will be able to complete the whole five-year course due to possible side effects, which could include hot flushes, joint pains, stiffness, and arthritis, as well as skin rash, nausea, headaches, brittle bones, and depression.

The number of cases Anastrozole can prevent depends on how many women decide to take it. However, even if only 25% of the 289,000 women eligible for the drug decide to take it, it would prevent 2,000 cases of women being diagnosed with breast cancer, the NHS claims. The initial step recommended by the NHS is for the women eligible to consult their general practitioner (GP), who might then refer them to a breast cancer or family history clinic.

Preventive medicine

Anastrozole is categorized as an aromatase inhibitor, functioning by reducing the production of the hormone estrogen in a woman’s body through the inhibition of the aromatase enzyme.

NHS England can provide this medication because the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has granted it a license for use as a preventive medicine.