Management of women at high lifetime risk of familial breast cancer is hampered because of limited data concerning the appropriateness of treatment options. Over the past 8 years women at very high (>40%) lifetime risk of breast cancer have had the option of entering two chemoprevention treatment trials, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) breast screening study, or a risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) study. Only 10% of eligible women have entered one of the chemotherapy trials with a similar proportion opting for RRM (>50% in mutation carriers) compared with 60% opting for MRI screening. Future chemotherapy trials will have to be designed to address this poor recruitment.