National Institute of Health and Care Excellence Focus Solely on Inherited Genes, Ignoring Lifestyle and Other Factors

Up to 95% of younger women at higher risk of breast cancer are being missed by NHS checks, researchers warn. Current guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) focus solely on inherited genes, ignoring lifestyle and other factors. A study in the British Journal of Cancer, using the Boadicea risk calculator, found it identified eight times as many women under 50 who developed the disease.

If all women under 50 were assessed, 26.5% would be referred for further checks, including 34.8% of those who develop breast cancer within a decade. The current criteria would refer just 1.4%, catching only 4.4% of cases. Lead researcher Dr Juliet Usher-Smith said the NHS should review the criteria, though extra referrals could increase workloads and anxiety.

Dr Sowmiya Moorthie of Cancer Research UK stressed any changes must be accessible and equitable. Nice welcomed the findings but said current evidence did not warrant a guideline change. Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women under 50 in the UK, with about one in seven women affected in their lifetime, though only 5-10% of cases are inherited. Any changes must be accessible and equitable, taking into consideration the anxiety that extra referrals might cause for women.