New hope for patients with breast cancer gene

30

A new treatment approach can significantly improve survival rates for patients with aggressive, inherited breast cancer, a study suggests.

The trial, led by Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, and published in Nature Communications, involved women with early-stage breast cancer who have inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations.

Giving them the targeted drug olaparib before surgery greatly reduced the chances of the cancer coming back.

More than 1,200 patients a year in the UK could benefit from the change in practice if a larger clinical trial can confirm the findings.

The Hollywood star Angelina Jolie raised awareness of inherited breast cancer genes in 2013 when she had a double mastectomy to cut her risk of getting the disease.