CAROLINE Morton has been taking Kadcyla as part of a clinical trial for almost four years.

Thanks to the treatment, she is now looking forward to celebrating her 50th birthday in January, and has returned to her job four days a week, supporting children with additional support needs.

The mother of three, from Perth, was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. She received radiotherapy and was eventually given the all-clear. Five years later, Mrs Morton was told at a routine six-month check-up that she had secondary breast cancer, after cancerous cells were detected elsewhere in her body.

"It was totally devastating," she said. "For the first six months all I did was cry. I was asked to go on a drug trial at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. You don't have a lot of options, so I said yes."

After six months of being diagnosed for a second time, she adopted a more optimistic approach to life. As a result of Kadcyla, some of her tumours have even begun to reduce in size.

"I can't know what would have happened if I hadn't been put on the trial, but obviously this drug has worked a lot better than I thought it was going to. There are side-effects, but it's nothing major compared to really harsh chemotherapy. It's not going to cure you and make tumours go away, but they do stabilise.

"I'm really disappointed by the decision not to approve it. Yes, it's a lot of money, but so many women would benefit. And the drug company isn't going to make money if no-one can take it."