Scientific investigation found it to contain the drug taxol which has become an effective treatment for breast, ovarian and cervical cancer.
The Pacific yew (T. brevifolia) from northwest North America was used by Native Americans to treat skin cancer. Scientific investigation found it to contain the drug taxol which has become an effective treatment for breast, ovarian and cervical cancer. Luckily English yews were found to have a similar compound in their leaves which could be converted into taxol, and yew hedge clippings are collected by pharmaceutical companies for this purpose.