Early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis & management

On 16 January 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated their recommendations for further surgery after breast-conserving surgery for invasive disease in the Early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and management guidance. The revised recommendations from NICE and the ABS are now broadly similar. This harmonisation is welcome and will help clinical teams and patients make pragmatic decisions about re-excising surgical margins.

The NICE guidance for 'Early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and management' was updated on 19 February 2025 to offer comprehensive recommendations for the prevention and management of arm lymphoedema following axillary treatment. This updated guideline replaces NICE guideline CG80 and the section on lymphoedema in NICE guideline CG81 (both 2009). It also updates and replaces NICE technology appraisal guidance 107, 108, 109 and 112 (2006) and NICE evidence summary ES15 (2017).