Prescribe breast cancer prevention drugs, says panel

An international panel of cancer specialists has suggested women at high risk of developing breast cancer should be given preventative drugs.

The experts, writing in the Lancet Oncology, said drugs such as tamoxifen could reduce the chances of developing breast cancer, a policy that would be similar to prescribing statins to patients at risk of heart disease.

Professor Jack Cuzick, who chaired the panel and is an epidemiologist at Queen Mary, University of London, told the BBC: "[tamoxifen and raloxifene] should be approved in the UK. The evidence for them is overwhelming."

Dr Lesley Walker, from Cancer Research UK, said: "Our scientists were behind some of the first trials showing the long term benefits of tamoxifen for preventing breast cancer in women with a greater than average risk of the disease.

"Being able to accurately predict breast cancer risk and who will respond to preventative drugs like these is a crucial step in ensuring women get the most suitable treatment."

Meg McArthur, senior policy officer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer added: "It is vital that we find effective ways to prevent breast cancer, especially in women with a high risk.

"We welcome studies investigating the best treatments to be used for breast cancer prevention. It's also crucial to identify those at high-risk who would benefit the most from this form of therapy."