Preventative medication could reduce breast cancer risk by 50%

England's National Health Service is testing Anastrozole, which could halve the chance of women developing breast cancer. Anastrozole restricts oestrogen production levels by blocking the enzyme aromatase. This intervention has been highlighted as 1 of the World Economic Forum’s 10 new breakthroughs in the fight against cancer.

It has been made available to an estimated 289 000 women in England who have been through menopause and have a major family history of breast cancer. It has been used for many years as a breast cancer treatment but now has been repurposed as a preventive medicine.

World Economic Forum, 2024. 10 new breakthroughs in the fight against cancer.

10 new breakthroughs in the fight against cancer

Campbell, D., 2023. Drug that can halve breast cancer risk offered to 289,000 women in England. The Guardian.

Drug that can halve breast cancer risk offered to 289,000 women in England