A new type of drug being trialled at Airedale Hospital could help women across the district survive advanced breast cancer .

Doctors are already using aromatase inhibitors, similar to trial drug Femara, to treat women with breast cancer.

And they are now taking part in global trials of Femara to combat the return of the disease among other patients diagnosed in the early-stages.

The drug is thought to cut the risk of the disease returning by up to a third in women facing the biggest risks.

Femara is one of a new type of treatments known as aromatase inhibitors which blocks the production of the oestrogen hormone - a hormone responsible for the growth and re-occurance of about 80 per cent or breast cancers in post-menopausal women.

The drug costs around £1,000 a year - eight times as much as Tamoxifen which has been used widely over the past 30 years to try and stop breast cancer reappearing in patients.

Consultant surgeon at Airedale Ali Nejim, pictured, said the hospital had joined the Femara trials late but were keen to test the theory behind it that it could save lives by blocking the return of the disease.

"We only have a handful of women who met the strict criteria to take part but they are among 401 in the UK out of 8,028 in the world. Femara is effective although it has its drawbacks and can't be given to every woman.

"If aromatase inhibitors are given to a patients after diagnosis as part of their treatment it's going to improve their survival chance and reduce any re-occurance."

Now Mr Ali and other surgeons who are part of the Yorkshire Breast Cancer Network are waiting for guidance on further use of Femara from the Government watchdog the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The watchdog is expected to report back on Femara and two other aromatase inhib-itors in November as use as alternatives to Tamoxifen.

There are around 120 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Airedale every year.