The question of cutting down or preserving old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest has been a controversial issue for years. Now a specific tree in the forest — previously thought of as economically useless — is adding fuel to the already heated debate. Bark and needles from the Pacific yew tree contain the drug taxol, which has achieved remarkable results in fighting advanced cases of ovarian and breast cancer. These cancers are responsible for more than 50,000 U.S. deaths each year.