Herceptin study: 'Shorter therapy just as good'

A new study has revealed that women taking the expensive anti cancer drug, Herceptin, have similar survival rates regardless of whether they take it for nine weeks or a year. In 2007 Pharmac was embroiled in controversy when it opted to fund just nine weeks of the costly drug, rather than a year. The incoming National Government went around the drug-buyer, paying for 12 months of treatment. The findings of the study, involving New Zealand women, were published at a breast cancer conference in the United States today. Vernon Harvey was the leader of the NZ part of the study, and discusses the findings with Kim Hill.