NICE breast cancer referral criteria miss 95%

A study by the University of Cambridge and Institute of Cancer Research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, found that the United Kingdom — National Institute for Health and Care Research (NICE) referral criteria for breast cancer miss up to 95% of women under 50 who develop the disease within a decade. Analyzing data from 1,258 women in the Breast Cancer Now Generations Study, the researchers compared the NICE criteria with the BOADICEA multifactorial risk model, which incorporates family history, lifestyle, reproductive history, and genetics. The NICE criteria would refer only 1.4% of women, capturing 4.4% of future cases, while BOADICEA would refer 26.5%, capturing 34.8% of future cases. The study highlights that 73% of women who developed breast cancer had no family history, a key factor in NICE guidelines. Experts, including Dr Juliet Usher-Smith, called for a review of the criteria, while NICE acknowledged the findings but stated current evidence does not warrant a change. The research was supported by Cancer Research UK and Breast Cancer Now, and a second study showed public support for proactive risk assessment.