Breast Cancer: Drugs

(asked on 28th November 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps NHS England is taking to increase bisphosphonates prescription for the prevention of secondary breast cancer; and if he will make a statement.


This question was answered on 1st December 2016

NHS England has advised that, whilst it recognises that bisphosphonates may have benefits for some women in preventing secondary breast cancer, their provision is a matter for clinical commissioning groups.

Bisphosphonates are not licensed for the treatment or prevention of secondary breast cancer. However, clinicians can prescribe bisphosphonates ‘off-license’ subject to any local funding policies if they consider them to be clinically appropriate for an individual, as current prescribing arrangements allow off-license drugs that are found to have new uses to be prescribed to patients.

Prescribing decisions are for clinicians taking into account their patients’ individual clinical circumstances. There is no legal or regulatory barrier to the funding or prescribing of drugs off-license. Prescribing in this way is part of normal every day clinical practice and offers benefits to a great number of patients.

Reticulating Splines