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last mo.

Researchers Propose Widening Preventive Mastectomy Access to Avert 6,500 UK Breast Cancer Cases a Year

The recommendation draws on an economic model showing surgery for women aged 30–55 with a 35% lifetime risk meets NICE cost-effectiveness benchmarks

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Overview

  • An economic evaluation published in JAMA Oncology by Queen Mary University and LSHTM sets a 35% lifetime breast cancer risk threshold for cost-effective preventive mastectomy in women aged 30–55.
  • Extending eligibility beyond BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 to include ATM, CHEK2, RAD51C, RAD51D variants and clinical factors could prevent around 6,500 cases annually in the UK.
  • Personalized risk prediction models combined with cascade genetic testing are identified as essential methods to find high-risk women with non-BRCA pathogenic variants.
  • The analysis aligns with NICE’s £20,000–£30,000 per QALY willingness-to-pay threshold and underpins calls for NHS guideline updates on risk-reducing surgery.
  • Researchers are urging the NHS and NICE to revise preventive mastectomy guidelines and to conduct further studies on patient acceptability, uptake rates, and long-term outcomes.