The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Tuesday May 30, 2006
The assesment of Herceptin by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence for prescribing by GPs will apply only to those in England and Wales and not to all doctors in the UK, as stated in the article below. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own medical guidance bodies.

Breast cancer charities yesterday called for all women who could benefit to be given Herceptin, following the announcement that the breast cancer drug had been granted its marketing licence.

About 5,000 women a year in the UK - less than one in five of those with breast cancer - will have the HER-2 positive variety and be suitable for treatment with Herceptin. The drug costs more than £20,000 a year for each patient, but enormous demand has been created by announcements that it halved the risk of the disease returning. Trials of the drug in early stage breast cancer showed that after four years 85.3% of women given Herceptin were alive and cancer-free, compared with 67.1% of women given other drugs. There was a much smaller difference, of around 4.8%, in the survival rate.

The granting of the licence by the European Medicines Agency, EMEA, means that the drug's safety and efficacy are approved. But Herceptin has to be assessed by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice), which will decide whether it is cost-effective and should be prescribed by all doctors in the UK.

Yesterday cancer charities said primary care trusts, which will have to foot large bills, should not wait for Nice even though the institute has said it will fast-track Herceptin. "We are keen to ensure that guidance is available in a matter of weeks," said Andrew Dillon, Nice's chief executive.

That was too long for Cancerbackup. "Today's decision will enable women with HER2 positive early breast cancer to access a vital treatment," said Joanne Rule, the charity's chief executive. "Breast cancer patients across England and Wales are experiencing a dreadful postcode lottery."

A number of women have fought primary care trusts which refused to pay for Herceptin until Nice gave the green light.

Breast Cancer Care said there should be no reason for doctors not to prescribe it.