The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is updating its clinical guideline on familial breast cancer.
NICE began consulting today on a draft version of the guideline with provisional recommendations relating to genetic testing, screening and the use of preventive treatments.
The draft update also makes recommendations for people who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer and who have a family history of the disease.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with around 50,000 women and 400 men diagnosed with the condition each year.
According to NICE, the majority of cases occur by chance but people with a family history of cancer have a much higher chance of developing the disease than those who do not, and at a younger age.
Recommendations have been made on issues including; when to offer genetic testing; what surveillance strategies should and should not be offered; and the use of treatments to prevent breast cancer.
Professor Mark Baker, director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE, said: "It is also more likely that people with family members affected by cancer who then develop breast cancer themselves could develop a separate tumour in the other breast following initial treatment.
"It is wise for any person with a family history of cancer to receive appropriate investigations and screening that would otherwise be unnecessary."
The guidelines were last updated in 2006. Since then there has been new evidence and advances in a number of clinical areas.
All guidelines are reviewed in line with regular practice to ensure they are based on up-to-date evidence.
Baker said NICE was now seeking views of registered stakeholders for the development of the guideline update.
The draft update of the familial breast cancer clinical guideline is available to view on the NICE website.
Only registered stakeholders such as professional and government organisations, patient and carer groups and companies can comment formally and have until 25 February 2013 to submit.
