New drug protects from cancer for longer

THE manufacturers of Arimidex, a rival drug to frontline breast cancer drug tamoxifen, claim their product helps women live cancer-free for longer.

Announcing the results of a 100-month study of postmenopausal women with early breast cancer, Arimidex maker AstraZeneca claimed their product had a longer-lasting protective effect than tamoxifen in reducing the risk of cancer returning.

This protective effect in reducing the risk of hormone-sensitive early breast cancer from recurring continues to increase even four years after a woman’s breast cancer treatment has ended, AstraZeneca claimed.