Flushes 'can help' cancer drugs be successful
Pain and discomfort caused by cancer drugs could be a good thing, according to new research.
Hot flushes, night sweats and painful joints were all cited by the study led by professor Jack Cuzick as showing the drugs tamoxifen or anastrozole are working.
Mr Cuzick said he hoped women would be encouraged by this research to continue taking these hormone therapies despite the side effects.
Both these drugs act to starve potential cancers of oestrogen and these symptoms mean that there are lower levels of oestrogen in the body, he explained.
"Our study found that hot flushes, night sweats and painful joints could be used to predict how effective a breast cancer patient's hormonal treatment will be.
"But it is too early to say whether having these symptoms is essential for the treatment to be effective."
Dr Kat Arney from Cancer Research UK told the BBC she wanted women to understand the treatment could still be working even if they are not experiencing any of these side effects.
Cancer treatments are physically demanding and some women may find they want the security of knowing they will not have to return to work too soon, giving themselves chance to recuperate, by taking out cancer health insurance. 
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