A LIFELINE has been provided for women who have been successfully treated for breast cancer but fear its return.
The drug femara has been approved for use in patients who have completed treatment and taken tamoxifen for a further five years.
Trials show that any benefits to be had from taking tamoxifen for more than five years are outweighed by extra risks of endometrial cancer, pulmonary embolism and stroke, but women are often reluctant to come off drugs altogether.
Femara fills the gap and provides extra protection against the disease.
In trials involving more than 5,000 women, the risk of death was cut by 39 per cent in those who took femara (letrozole) for 2½ years after stopping tamoxifen.
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Femara is designed to stop the natural production of oestrogen, the hormone that is responsible for the growth and recurrence of many breast cancers.