From BBC Health - December 29, 2005 09:52
A new generation of breast cancer drug may give many women a better chance of beating the disease, research suggests.
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Campaigners have called for a fast-track assessment of a new breast cancer drug which may help save lives.
A global study found Femara (letrozole) was of most benefit to women at highest risk of the cancer returning, the New England Journal of Medicine reported.
In women whose cancer had spread to the lymph nodes, the drug cut the risk of a recurrence of disease by 29% compared to 'gold standard' tamoxifen treatment.
The study involved 8,000 women, including more than 400 from the UK.
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The findings contributed to a decision earlier this month by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve a licence for the use of the drug for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer straight after surgery.
However, the NHS drug watchdog is not due to rule on whether the drug should be made widely available until late next year.
The study, co-ordinated by the Senology Center of Eastern Switzerland in Kantonsspital, looked at which drug women in the study were initially treated with.
They found Femara cut the risk of disease returning in women who had already undergone chemotherapy by 28%, compared to tamoxifen therapy.
Among all women taking Femara there was a 27% reduction in the risk of cancer spreading to other parts of the body compared to those taking tamoxifen, and a 19% drop in the risk of breast cancer returning.
