New treatment to help post-menopausal women with breast cancer?

Treatment with a certain kind of acid could be beneficial for post-menopausal women with breast cancer, research has shown, with many of these individuals potentially using respite care.

When used to aid chemotherapy for breast cancer, zoledronic acid was seen to be of significant benefit for post-menopausal women, according to research presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress.

Zoledronic acid is already given to cancer patients in order to protect against secondary bone cancer.

However, the acid might also have direct anti-tumour effects and enhance other chemotherapy treatments, scientists found.

Women who had undergone menopause five years or more previously who were given the acid had an 85 per cent survival rate, compared to 79 per cent for women who did not receive the extra treatment.

Meanwhile, research published in journal Cancer Cell, found that a new combination of medications could successfully treat cancers that have been difficult to combat.

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