MP Eleanor Laing has backed calls for more breast cancer drugs to be made freely available.

A number of treatments, which are said to prolong the lives of sufferers without debilitating side effects, are considered too expensive to be provided by the NHS.

Some of these drugs are currently available through the Cancer Drugs Fund, which the government set up as a temporary measure.

Speaking in support of a campaign led by charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Mrs Laing said: “If there was an easy solution to this problem we would have it by now.

“This will come from negotiations and ongoing discussion with pharmaceutical companies, regulators and charities to create a new system which will ensure all cancer patients can access the drugs they need at a fair price to the NHS.

“We’ve come a long way in developing new and better drugs for breast cancer but to keep moving towards a future where women can live longer feeling well, spend less time in hospital with debilitating side effects and more time with their families, and keep working if they are able to, we need to find a way to guarantee access to the drugs that can make this possible.”