Published 25 February 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b815
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b815

News

NICE updates guidance on early and advanced breast cancer

Susan Mayor

1 London

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

People with early invasive breast cancer should have minimal surgery without removal of lymph nodes unless there is evidence that cancer has spread to them, recommends new guidance for the NHS in England and Wales.

It also suggests that women who are being advised to have a mastectomy should be offered breast reconstruction, even if it is not available locally, and it updates recommendations on choice of hormonal therapy, on the basis of the latest research.

The new guidance on early breast cancer from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advises against lymph node clearance in people in whom no evidence is shown on ultrasonography or needle biopsy of lymph node involvement. It suggests that sentinel lymph node biopsy should be used to assess whether cancer has spread to the axilla. This involves removing and checking the first lymph node (or nodes) to which cancer is likely . . . [Full text of this article]


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Immediate breast reconstruction should be challenged
Zoë Ellen Winters
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Winters, Z. E. (2009). Immediate breast reconstruction should be challenged. BMJ 338: b1067-b1067 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

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Re: NICE should be challenged on its updated guidance that all women advised to have a mastectomy should be offered immediate breast reconstruction
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bmj.com, 12 Mar 2009 [Full text]
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