Researchers at the University of Sheffield have designed a new chemotherapy-drug course which they claim could treat breast cancer in just six weeks. The drug is basically a commonly used drug combination.

“These findings are very promising. Less exposure to chemotherapy would reduce the risk of side-effects, such as hair loss, nausea and, in some cases, permanent infertility”, Mr. Holen wrote in The International Journal of Cancer. However, clinical studies in patients are required, the Daily Mail reported.

The team revealed that a combination of doxorubicin - a chemotherapy drug commonly given to prevent tumour growth - and zoledronic acid - a well-tolerated treatment given to protect bone in advanced breast cancer, destroyed tumors in a shorter period of time.

The study has been termed a mice-model test, led by Dr. Ingunn Holen.

He treated a group of mice with the combination every week for six months and another group for six weeks. They result cited that in both the groups tumours significantly reduced in its original size and became barely detectable.

However, researchers claim to initiate more research in order to determine the need to go in for a prolonged course of treatment to prevent tumours from growing back.