Since yesterday (Tuesday 7th November), various media outlets have been sharing a news story about Anastrozole, a medication that may be offered to tens of thousands of women who are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. This could be a huge step forward for breast cancer prevention in the UK, and it has generated a large number of conversations across the Online Community around breast cancer treatments. Macmillan Cancer Support have been asked to provide a statement in response to this announcement.
Dany Bell, Strategic Adviser for Treatment, Medicines and Genomics at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Knowing that you have an increased risk of developing breast cancer can be difficult to deal with, so today’s news about Anastrozole is a huge step forward. It will help reduce anxiety while reducing overall risk."
“It’s important to note that the drug is only available to those who are post-menopausal and anyone who is interested should speak to their GP. Anyone worried about an increased risk of cancer can also reach out to Macmillan’s support line, where we have specialist nurses available to listen and help every day.”
Further information around family history, genetics and cancer risk can also be found on the Macmillan website: Family history, genes and cancer risk | Macmillan Cancer Support
If you feel this medication might be beneficial to you, please speak to your GP or health care team.
To talk with Online Community members who have had a breast cancer diagnosis, please click on the following links to visit our Breast cancer forum and our Secondary breast cancer forum.
If you're supporting a loved one with breast cancer, you can also find support from other members on our Family and friends forum. We also have a dedicated space for caregivers to share their worries and emotions in a safe and supportive environment over on our Carers only forum.
For further support, you can ask questions or just to talk things through by reaching out to our Support Line. Our Support Line teams are available 7 days a week, from 8am to 8pm, on freephone 0808 808 00 00, by email, or via live webchat.
Looking for further information from Macmillan about breast cancer?
Find our Breast Cancer Awareness page here and link to further resources.
We'd welcome your comments and feedback in the comments section below, or you can contact the Community team privately by email at community@macmillan.org.uk
We'd also love to hear from you if there's a subject you'd like to see in a future Community News Blog.
