GPs 'failing to prescribe tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer'

Conclusion This large survey shows around half of GPs surveyed were unaware of the benefits of tamoxifen: namely, that the drug can reduce the risk of breast cancer in women with a family history of the condition. Only around a quarter of GPs surveyed were aware of the current UK guidelines. Researchers found GPs were more likely to feel comfortable carrying on a prescription initiated by hospital doctors, rather than being the one to take the decision to prescribe. This is perhaps unsurprising given that the drug is still not licensed for the primary prevention of cancer. NICE currently recommends prescribers need to take full responsibility for their decision to prescribe tamoxifen, and obtain full informed patient consent. Many GPs may not feel sufficiently informed or comfortable about making these decisions themselves. In light of this, the researchers' conclusions are therefore quite appropriate. They suggest the study indicates a need to provide GPs with information about the official guidelines, as well as benefits and support for GPs in prescribing tamoxifen. This study does have some limitations, however: The artificial scenarios GPs were given might not reflect real-life patients and situations, and they might respond differently in a real-life situation. The study does not tell us the proportion of patients offered tamoxifen by their GP in real life. The GPs were recruited from an online panel, which not all UK GPs are a member of, so an important g...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Medication Medical practice Source Type: news