GPs failing to offer thousands of women life-saving 6p breast-cancer pills
The drug has been shown to cut the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 40 per cent
HUNDREDS of thousands of at-risk women have not been offered pills that prevent breast cancer - because their GPs didn’t know they were supposed to, according to a new study.
A survey of family doctors discovered three quarters were not aware of NHS guidelines stating they should be offering tamoxifen - which costs just 6p per day - to certain patients.
The drug has been shown to cut the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 40 per cent, and the protection effect can last for 20 years.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which rations drugs for the NHS, released guidelines in 2013 saying women at moderate or high risk of breast cancer should be offered the drug.
And in 2015 the National Cancer Strategy, part of the Department of Health, repeated this advice.
But a conference at the National Cancer Research Institute yesterday (Mon) heard that of 928 GPs asked, only 24 per cent were aware of the guidelines, meaning a staggering 76 per cent were not.
The study was carried out at University College London, Queen Mary London, and Cancer Research UK who told the conference in Liverpool that guidelines were being ignored.
And the research also showed 52 per cent of the doctors didn’t eve know tamoxifen prevents breast cancer.
While some 38 per cent said they wouldn’t feel comfortable prescribing it even when they were told about its benefits.
It’s though they may fear prescribing the drug in case women develop side effects - such as depression or a small risk of blood clots or strokes - and sue them.
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Baroness Delyth Morgan, of the charity Breast Cancer Now, told the Daily Mail: “It is deeply concerning that many women at an increased risk of breast cancer are still not being offered the choice of taking tamoxifen.
“NICE’s 2013 guidelines recommended that it be offered to all women at medium and high risk.
“But unfortunately this is largely not being adhered to, with many GPs lacking confidence in discussing the option with patients and a worrying number not even being aware of it.”
Meanwhile, experts warn that thousands of women also receive late diagnoses because they do not have a noticeable lump.
They include pain, abnormalities, rashes, swelling and nipple discharge.
The experts analysed data of more than 2,300 women with breast cancer in England in 2009/10. Those with symptoms other than a lump took 50 per cent longer to go to their GP.
They were twice as likely to wait more than three months for help. Lead researcher Monica Koo, of University College London, said: “This is not about GPs delaying referral but women being unaware of other symptoms. Diagnosing cancer earlier really is key in order to increase the chances of survival.”
The research was presented at the National Cancer Research Institute Cancer conference in Liverpool.
The Sun launched the Check ’em Tuesday breast cancer campaign in 2014 to help boost early detection of the disease.