Tumour tamer: The pill stops signals to the cells which tells them to grow
Tumours on the face and neck that cannot be removed using routine treatments can now be shrunk using the simple tablet.
It works by blocking the messages in cells that tell tumours to grow.
The drug, vismodegib, was licensed earlier this month and will now be available to NHS patients under the Government’s Cancer Drugs Fund, which provides patients with rapid access to new treatments.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, affecting about 100,000 people a year in the UK.
