Women giving up cancer drug due to effects

Women who stop taking breast cancer drugs because of unbearable side-effects are almost three times more likely to have their cancer return.

The hormone tablets prescribed after surgery — such as Tamoxifen — can cause menopause-like symptoms such as hot flushes and severe joint pain.

Kathleen Bennett of the Trinity College research team said analysis “clearly shows that recurrence rates of breast cancer are lowest among the women who stick to prescribed medications after other interventions such as surgery”.