Treatment hope Drug may stop recurrence

The number of breast cancer patients suffering a recurrence of the disease could be slashed by a quarter, thanks to a drug already used by the NHS.

Ribociclib is a drug that is used in advanced breast cancer treatments but fresh data show that giving it to women earlier could also stop tumours returning later.

More than 5,000 people with early stage breast cancer were enrolled in a study by the University of California, Los Angeles, and half received the drug as well as the current standard of care, which involves hormone therapy, and half were also given ribociclib.

Ribociclib is a small molecule inhibitor therapy that fights cancer by targeting proteins in breast cancer cells called CDK4 and CDK6, which modulate cell growth, including the growth of cancer cells.

It is one of three drugs of this class used by the NHS and is authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.