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A new drug for breast cancer has been found to be more effective that the standard NHS treatment, it has been reported.

Recent research by the International Breast Cancer Study Group found that Femara – which is an aromatase inhibitor (AI) – reduces the risk of death by almost a fifth compared to tamoxifen, the usual medication.

Currently, most patients take tamoxifen initially and then switch to an AI drug after two to three years.

However, the study of 8,000 women in 27 countries indicated that women taking Femara for the entire five-year period were significantly more likely to survive.

Nigel Bundred, Professor of Surgical Oncology at South Manchester University Hospitals Trust, deemed the findings an "important milestone" in the treatment of the disease.

"For the first time we are seeing suggested survival benefit with upfront aromatase inhibitor letrozole therapy for five years compared with tamoxifen for the same time period," he said.

Breast cancer affects around 44,000 British women every year.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

Fertility drugs which have been used by women for 30 years have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

According to a recent study by Israeli scientists, those people who took clomiphene were four times as likely to develop womb cancer.

Of 567 women given drugs to induce ovulation, five had developed the disease – almost three times the number of women who did receive such treatment.

Clomiphene - which blocks hormone activity - was found to increase the risk of womb cancer more than four times.

Furthermore the drug was also linked to other forms of the disease, such as breast cancer, malignant skin cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Jodie Moffat, health information officer at the charity Cancer Research UK, said firm conclusions had not yet been reached.

"This study didn’t include a detailed history of fertility drug use, and the number of women who developed uterine (womb) cancer was very small," she said.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

Taking vitamin C or E does not cut the risk of developing prostate or other forms of cancer, according to new research.

Recent trials had suggested that taking such supplements may reduce the risk of the disease.

However, two US studies which have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicate that this is not the case.

The first study of 35,533 men and a second of 15,000 doctors found no evidence that cancer rates were significantly reduced by the taking of such vitamins.

Dr Jodie Moffat, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said numerous studies had attempted to ascertain whether vitamins played a part in reducing cancer risk, but most did not prove a link.

"This new research means it is even less likely than we previously thought that supplements can protect against prostate cancer," she said.

Recent research indicated that Vitamin C supplements may actually reduce the benefits of some anti-cancer drugs.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

A cancer patient has been given new hope by an anonymous benefactor, it has been reported.

Jack Rosser, 57, from Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with kidney cancer last year and told he may only have two years only to live, reports the BBC.

Furthermore, he was unable to persuade the NHS to fund a £3,000-a-month drug which could prolong his life.

However, an anonymous New York hedge fund manager contacted the British cancer campaign group, after the group made highlighted the problem.

On being told the news, Mr Rosser said he "burst into tears".

"This was 11.30 at night when we had this come through. It was a total shock, totally unexpected, we didn’t think there [were] such nice people out there reading our stories," he said.

Sutent – which has been shown to slow down tumour growth – could now be prescribed to Mr Rosser on the NHS if it can be proved it is having a clinical benefit.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

Cancer patients in Northern Ireland (NI) could get help with their fuel costs over the winter, it has been reported.

The government is being called on to help this group by extending government guidelines for winter fuel costs, reports the BBC.

Currently, people over the age of 60 in NI qualify for a winter fuel payment.

Macmillan Cancer Support has noted that some 85 per cent of those eligible for a Macmillan hardship grant in NI last year needed the money to pay their fuel bills.

The charity’s general manager for NI, Heather Monteverde, said this figure was "significantly" higher that anywhere else in the UK, stressing that action must be taken if fuel poverty is to be eradicated in vulnerable households by 2010

"We believe that all cancer patients diagnosed in the last year should qualify for a winter fuel payment, regardless of whether or not they receive a disability payment," she said.

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A single cancer cell can potentially be enough to create a whole new tumour, according to researchers in the US.

Published in the journal Nature, the findings contradict hopes that the spread of the disease could only be caused by certain types of cell.

However, experts in the UK have claimed that more research is needed to ascertain exactly how cancer cells work, reports the BBC.

Dr Sean Morrison, who led the latest work, said he believed it was the first time it had been proven that individual cells are able to form new tumours

"We think the underestimation of tumour-causing cells is a general problem in many cancers, not just specific to melanoma," he said.

A spokesman for Cancer Research UK, Ed Yong, said the idea that whole tumours grow from tiny individual cells is one of the most significant currently being studied.

He added that it illustrates the importance of researching the disease at "a fundamental level".

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Scientist have identified a gene which can protect against the onset of lung cancer, it has been reported.

Lung cancer accounts for around 33,600 deaths every year in the UK, often due to it being detected at a late stage.

However, it is hoped that the new discovery about how the LIMD1 behaves may pave the way for treatments to identify the disease earlier.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham found that the gene was not present in the majority of lung cancer samples – indicating that it could be used to protect against the disease.

Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation said: "This is very exciting research which could lead to the development of early screening techniques and treatments for lung cancer."

Ed Yong, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said cells are more vulnerable to cancer-causing chemicals without the protection of LIMD1.

He added that the research completes "another piece of the lung cancer puzzle".

Researchers at University College London have developed a universal test which can predict people’s risk of developing depression.

PredictD is an online tool which the team claim could soon be used to identify people who are likely to develop the condition and determine what prevention will be most useful.

It is based on risk indices for heart disease and provides a percentage risk estimate over a specified time period.

The algorithm’s accuracy was tested on 6,000 people in Europe and a further 3,000 individuals in Chile, with participants taking part in follow-up activities after six and 12 months.

Commenting on the development, Professor Michael King of the university’s Department of Mental Health Sciences said: "Depression is a common problem throughout the world, but although we know how to treat it, we know very little about how to prevent its onset."

He added that the next stage of research will be to establish how GPs can use the tool to prevent the onset of depression.

Recent research published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology highlighted that Group psychology involving Buddhist meditation techniques, known as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, is effective for treatment of depression as it helps people focus on the future.

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Levels of cervical cancer are more prevalent among women living in the most deprived areas of the UK, new research has revealed.

According to statistics from the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN), the disease was twice as common in poorer areas than in more affluent regions.

It is thought that the lower numbers of women who make use of cervical screening could be one of the main reasons for the discrepancy.

Lead researcher Professor David Forman, from the University of Leeds, said the "striking figures" illustrate that more effort is needed to tackle the disease in deprived areas.

"Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease - the national screening programme will pick up most cases before they even develop into cancer," he said.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said it was "extremely worrying" to note that income had such a significant effect on a person’s risk of cancer.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

The Irish government is being called on to introduce a cervical cancer vaccination programme.

Several multinational drug companies are planning to travel to Ireland to speak with consultants on the subject, reports the Times.

Cervical cancer expert Professor Margaret Stanley of Cambridge University, recently spoke to a group of consultants and public healthcare professionals about the benefits of such a vaccine.

According to professor Stanley, women’s health in Ireland is the number one priority, despite the financial pressure which the government is experiencing.

"Screening is great, but it is not enough," she said. "It’s an opt-in treatment, and more women are choosing not to opt in. In the UK, we have one of the best screening programmes in the world and even with that we only prevent about 76 per cent of cervical cancers.

A spokesman for heath minister Mary Harney said she is aware of the crucial role a vaccine would play in cervical cancer treatment.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer