ZURICH (Reuters) - European regulators on Friday recommended approval of a Novartis' for the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued a positive recommendation for Afinitor in patients with HER2 - advanced breast cancer in combination with exemestane.

Afinitor, which is already approved for other types of cancer such as kidney and a rare type of pancreatic cancer, will now go to the European Commission for formal approval, a process that normally takes a couple of months.

Novartis says there are around 220,000 newly diagnosed cases worldwide each year of the type of advanced breast cancer that could benefit from Afinitor.

(Reporting by Caroline Copley)