A drug which could help prolong the lives of some cancer patients can now be prescribed by Scottish doctors.
Taxotere, which will be used to treat sufferers of head, neck, breast and lung cancers, was recommended for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.
In trials, patients taking Taxotere had a 30% lower mortality rate than those receiving the standard treatment alone.
In 2005, the SMC turned the drug down for prostate cancer treatment as its cost effectiveness had not been proven.
However, this is the first time it has been used for the treatment of head and neck cancer, for which it is believed to be most effective.
About 100 patients are initially expected to receive the drug in Scotland, costing the NHS about £3,000 per patient each year.
Taxotere, which is described as being a chemotherapy drug, was approved for use by the NHS in England and Wales last year.
"We hope it will result in many more lives being saved across Scotland"
The SMC decided not to recommend the treatment to the NHS two years ago on the basis that it did not demonstrate value for money at £7,000 for each course.
At the time, the decision was criticised by health professionals and cancer charities, who said a price should not be put on prolonging and improving the lives of cancer patients.
Dr Elizabeth Junor, a consultant clinical oncologist at Edinburgh's Western General Hospital, said Taxotere could prove particularly important for patients with head or neck tumours, for which there are very few treatments compared with other types of cancer.
She said: "This SMC recommendation will mean that more patients can now get this new treatment combination, which is another significant step forward for us in the management of head and neck cancer.
"We hope it will result in many more lives being saved across Scotland."
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is the generic term given to 90% of all head and neck cancers.
Survival time
About 760 people in the UK are diagnosed with the disease each year. It can affect the mouth, tongue and throat.
Ex-Beatle George Harrison and journalist John Diamond, husband of Nigella Lawson, were both victims of the cancer.
Only about 40% of those diagnosed with the condition survive for more than five years.
Taxotere, which was originally developed to treat breast cancer, has been shown to extend the survival time for men with prostate cancer by 25% over the standard treatment.
It is used when prostate cancer patients are no longer responding to hormone treatment, and reduces pain and weight loss.
Prostate cancer is the UK's most common form of male cancer. It affects one in 15 men in Scotland and kills 10,000 every year across the UK.
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