Airedale Hospital is taking part in a major new drug trial which doctors hope will increase survival chances for breast cancer sufferers.

The Steeton hospital is involved in testing a new type of chemotherapy, which involves a drug called Taxotere.

Taxotere has already been used by medics to extend the lives of women with advanced breast cancer.

And it is hoped that using the drug alongside a combination of chemotherapy agents called FEC can improve survival rates for women whose cancer is less advanced.

The drug will be handed out after initial surgery to see if it can increase the number of women who are cured.

As well as testing whether the new drug combination can bring improved survival rates, researchers will also be looking for ways of predicting who will respond best to the treatment.

Airedale Hospital's Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr Michael Crawford says the hospital will begin using the drug combination soon.

However, he believes it could be five to six years before tests reveal if it has a beneficial effect.

He explains: "If a lady has a breast or lump removed, in some the cancer will go away, but there are a lot for whom the disease comes back.

"Using the drug Tamoxifen reduces the number, but there are still some incidents where it comes back.

"Taxotere is one of the most exciting drugs in recent years and the aim of this clinical trial is to see if it's going to make a difference overall and whether we are better having it.

"It has not been used in this early phase after operation and we don't yet know if there is a genuine advantage.

"We are doing something to combat breast cancer by bringing in new drugs, but it is not a huge amount and we could do better."

Dr Crawford adds that Taxotere does have side effects including hair loss, aching bones and a low blood count.

Airedale does have a scheme to combat the hair loss that involves cooling the scalp down. It is hoping to begin the service when fully staffed.

Almost 100 hospitals and 3,000 women nationwide are taking part in the TACT trial, which has been funded by the charity Cancer Research Campaign and supported by the government and a number of pharmaceutical companies.

"The Cancer Research Campaign is committed to cure," says its director general, Professor Gordon McVie. "That means we not only need to research new drugs or treatments, but also to make sure that the best possible drugs are available to patients as quickly as possible.

"It is important that we fund large-scale studies like the TACT trial, so that hospitals can make their decisions on what drugs to use based on hard clinical evidence, rather than on cost or convenience."

News of the research coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is highlighting the need for better treatments for the commonest cancer among British women.