Cancer treatment in a tablet

The national drug-funding agency Pharmac has announced it will make a more convenient treatment available to sufferers of colorectal cancer.

About 450 extra people each year would be given capecitabine, a tablet form of chemotherapy.

More people being treated for colorectal cancer would take tablets at home instead of going to hospital.

At the moment, most colorectal cancer patients were visiting hospital up to 30 times in six months. The cancer claims about 1200 lives a year.

- NZPA