Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A NEW treatment for advanced breast cancer can give women a longer period free of chemotherapy and should improve quality of life in the later stages of the illness, doctors said yesterday, writes Liz Hunt.
The drug, formestane, can be used when other hormonal drugs stop working for women with post-menopausal breast cancer. It starves tumours of the hormones they need to grow.
Professor Charles Coombes, head of the Department of Medical Oncology at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical Schools, London, said the drug was 'a real advance'.
'For women with advanced breast cancer, the choices of treatments are limited. In the past, chemotherapy with its distressing side efects such as nausea and hair loss, was often the next option once tamoxifen (another hormonal drug) stopped working.'
In a trial of 240 women with post-menopausal breast cancer, a quarter responded to injections of formestane, and in another quarter their condition stabilised.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments