Wigan man is one of the first to benefit from new trial for the treatment of prostate cancer

The study was aimed at helping men like Dave Kinsey from Winstanley, where the cancer had spread to other parts of their body and the tumours kept growing even when the testosterone in the body was reduced to very low levels.

Dave, 68, a retired civil engineer and keen cyclist, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in February 2016 when a blood test found his PSA level (an indication of whether a man has prostate cancer) was 36 (4.0 and lower is considered normal). The tumours had spread to his lymph nodes and spine and he immediately went on his first clinical trial at The Christie which brought his PSA level back to normal.

In March 2019, after his PSA level started to rise again, doctors looked for another option for him and he became one of the first patients to sign up to PROpel, a clinical trial which had recently opened at The Christie.

As part of the trial, Dave, who is married to Jill and has two daughters and two granddaughters, was given a testosterone blocking drug combined with a targeted cancer drug. Now Dave has no signs of active cancer and is enjoying life.

He said: “Initially I was told I had three to five years to live so I’m very pleased with the trial as it has stopped my cancer from spreading.

"Although the hormone therapy makes me a little tired, I can enjoy looking after my granddaughters, long walks with the dog and getting out on my bike. I’d recommend going on a clinical trial to anyone who needs it. You are very well looked after and regularly monitored so you have nothing to worry about.”

The combination has now been approved by the European medicines regulatory authority and it is soon to be considered by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). It is hoped that this effective treatment will be made available more widely on the NHS. It would mean chemotherapy may not be needed, thereby avoiding possible unpleasant side-effects which could have an impact on patients' quality of life.

Professor Noel Clarke, urological surgeon at The Christie, said: “Patients with advanced prostate cancer have an average of three years to live, so this drug combination buys them a significant amount of extra time to enjoy life. This is a genuine advance in the treatment of this type of aggressive prostate cancer (metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer) and its effect will have an influence on prostate cancer treatment around the world.

“The Christie prostate cancer team has made a substantial contribution to the development and success of this new therapeutic approach, illustrating the importance of combining laboratory science with clinical work involving patients. This new drug combination showed a significant benefit to prostate cancer patients, and it will help extend the lives of men unfortunate enough to develop this common and unpleasant disease.”