What Is Anastrozole and Who Will Receive the Drug to Prevent Breast Cancer?

Anastrozole, a daily pill to prevent breast cancer, will now be available to thousands of more women in the UK after being cleared for wider use.

The drug has been used to treat hormone-driven breast cancers for years in England, but was not previously licensed for prevention. In trials, anastrozole has been shown to reduce instances of the disease in most post-menopausal women by almost 50%.

The new licensing regime has the potential to prevent thousands of cases. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, according to the NHS. Around one in seven women — most over ...