Tens of thousands of women in England could benefit from the drug that can prevent breast cancer, reports the BBC. According to the latest experiments, the drug can reduce the development of breast cancer by almost 50 percent after menopause in women who are at increased risk of developing breast cancer.
The pill has been used until now, but only for the treatment of the disease, but now it has been approved for prevention as well. An estimated 289,000 women in England alone may be eligible for the drug at risk of breast cancer.
The BBC writes that the tablet with the active ingredient anastrozole is not patented, which means that it can be produced by several companies and can be distributed relatively cheaply. It was recommended for the first time in 2017 as a prevention option, but it has only just been licensed in England. According to the article, anastrozole reduces the amount of estrogen by blocking an enzyme called aromatase, thereby reducing the chance of developing breast cancer. The preventive treatment lasts for five years, and one pill must be taken every day, and its effect lasts for years even after the five years of treatment.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in England, with more than 47,000 people diagnosed with it every year.
(BBC)
