The long, hard battle for lifesaving Herceptin

WHEN breast cancer campaigners fighting for the 'wonder drug' Herceptin marched to 10 Downing Street three years ago, they took with them messages of support from 35,000 people.

Campaign leaders even secured a meeting with then Health Services Minister Rosie Winterton, but they returned home to Stoke-on-Trent with no assurances that the drug would be made available to women who needed it.

Clinical trials proved that if Herceptin was used to treat women with early stage breast cancer, it could half the risk of tumours returning.

After campaigner Elaine Barber, of Abbey Hulton, pictured, was told her appeal against North Stoke Primary Care Trust's decision not to fund Herceptin had failed, in November, 2005, the Health Secretary of the time, Patricia Hewitt, demanded a meeting to find out why.

The next day North Stoke PCT reversed its decision to allow Elaine, – and everyone else who needed it – treatment on the NHS. Soon the rest of the country followed suit to provide the drug.