Key points from article :
Anastrozole, a drug used to treat breast cancer, has been approved as a preventative option for women at moderate/high risk of the disease.
Reduces the incidence of breast cancer by almost 50% in post-menopausal women.
An estimated 289,000 women in England could be eligible for the drug.
It is more affordable and is taken as a 1mg tablet, once a day for five years.
Protective effect of the drug lasts for years after a woman has stopped taking it.
"..more effective and had fewer side effects than already available preventative treatment, tamoxifen," - Peter Johnson, NHS England's national clinical director for cancer.
Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, said: A major step forward that will enable women with a significant family history of breast cancer to reduce their chance of developing the disease.
