Novartis said on Monday that its Kisqali breast cancer drug had been shown to cut the risk of recurrence in women that were diagnosed at an early stage of the disease, a potential boost for the drugmaker's growth prospects.

In a brief preview of trial results, the Swiss company said a late-stage trial testing the drug in a type of breast cancer that grows in response to hormones, Kisqali significantly reduced the risk of recurrence when used with standard endocrine therapy, compared to endocrine therapy alone. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Editing by Friederike Heine)