A vaccine to prevent breast cancer is a realistic prospect, but more research is vital if it is to be achieved, says a leading expert

Professor Valerie Beral of Oxford University, who leads the Million Women's Study into the causes of the disease, said her research had already proven beyond doubt, that childbirth and the act of breastfeeding prevents breast cancer.

She wants scientists to look more closely at how they could mimic the hormones associated with childbirth and rearing in a bid to stamp out the disease, instead of trying to cure it once it has developed, as is mostly the case at present.

She pointed out that while new drugs and earlier diagnosis have dramatically reduced death rates, the number of women developing breast cancer and having to go through traumatic surgery and chemotherapy  is rising.

According to Prof. Beral, researches need to focus more on mimicking the effects of childbirth, and look at hormone production during late pregnancy and lactation.

Prof Beral's Cancer Research UK-funded work as the director of the cancer epidemiology unit of Oxford University sees her use large amounts of statistical data to establish trends in possible reasons why women develop the disease.

Speaking at the National Cancer Research Institute's annual conference, she challenged the scientific community to turn its efforts to preventing breast cancer.

While money and effort is poured into better drug treatments, hardly anyone is working on prevention. She pointed to the example of cervical cancer, where most cases were found to be caused by the human papilloma virus, and the development of a vaccine, which is now being routinely given to schoolgirls, aged 12 and 13.

"Research into breast cancer has been a great success story, with survival rates at an all-time high," she said.  "However, the number of women diagnosed with the disease is increasing year after year.