New research published in The Lancet – www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)60140-3/fulltext – that oestrogen blocking drugs like tamoxifen and raloxifene can prevent breast cancers if taken regularly – one breast cancer was prevented for every 42 women who took the drugs for at least 5 years. This adds to existing research currently being considered by NICE who is expected to produce guidance on the use of these drugs in the UK early this summer.

In the meantime you might want to listen to this edition of Inside Health – www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019dl1b – which looks at what American authorities have proposed (including how they define a woman as high risk), as well as covering common side effects of tamoxifen with a UK surgeon.

You will find the breast cancer risk tool mentioned in the interview here: www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/