More than 8,000 women with advanced breast cancer have been given new hope after health officials approved two new "breakthrough" drugs that stall the disease for at least 10 months.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) yesterday approved palbociclib and ribociclib for widespread use in the health service in England.

The drugs have been shown to delay the need for chemotherapy for women in whom the disease cannot be cured, giving them valuable extra months of good-quality life.