{
  "id": 118568,
  "title": "GPs’ breast cancer guidelines ‘miss’ 95% of women who will develop disease",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/gps-breast-cancer-guidelines-miss-95-of-women-who-will-develop-disease",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-04T05:00:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/04/gps-breast-cancer-guidelines-miss-95-of-women-who-will-develop-disease"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A study by the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Cancer Research has found that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) breast cancer criteria used by GPs in England fail to identify 95% of women under 50 who will develop the disease within a decade. The guidelines, which consider family history, are not effective in spotting high-risk women under 50 because almost 75% of women who develop breast cancer within 10 years have no family history of the disease. The alternative Boadicea risk assessment system, developed by Cambridge and funded by Cancer Research UK, identified eight times as many at-risk women in the age group. Experts say early identification of high-risk women could lead to earlier screening and preventive treatment, potentially preventing or detecting breast cancer earlier when it's more treatable. However, a Nice spokesperson said the current evidence does not warrant a change to the current familial breast cancer guideline at this time, and they remain committed to reviewing new evidence for future updates.",
  "summary": "A study published by the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Cancer Research, London has revealed that current breast cancer guidelines used by GPs in England are missing 95% of women who will develop the disease. This alarming statistic has prompted calls for a review of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) criteria, which are used to determine who should be referred for further breast cancer risk assessment and specialist care. The research highlights a concerning issue for young women in England, as they are not being referred for early tests or preventive treatment due to the current guidelines failing to identify the majority of women under 50 who are at risk of developing breast cancer within the next decade.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}