SCOTTISH doctors were yesterday urged to use more of a cheap drug which scientists have found to be one of the most effective treatments in the fight against breast cancer.

Research carried out by Professor Richard Peto, of Oxford University, has shown that tamoxifen could help save up to 1000 more women in the UK every year if used more widely.

At the moment, the drug is recognised as a powerful weapon against breast cancer in older women, preventing its spread and stopping recurrence, and saves about 2000 lives a year in the UK. But many doctors are under the impression that it cannot help pre-menopausal women under the age of about 50.

There is also wide reluctance to prescribe it in addition to other forms of chemotherapy.

However, a massive worldwide study involving 30,000 women - based on research which began in Scotland 20 years ago - provided the clearest evidence yet of the life-saving powers of tamoxifen, said Professor Peto, one of the UK's leading cancer experts.

The findings showed that if the drug was given immediately after surgery to all patients who needed it, irrespective of age, an extra 20,000 lives could be saved worldwide each year.

Even in Britain, which is already in the forefront of tamoxifen treatment, wider use could save a further 1000 lives.

The research showed that starting tamoxifen early and continuing it for around five years halved the rate of breast cancer recurrence, even in younger patients.

Professor Peto said the results of the research were expected to change the negative attitudes towards the drug.