Cancer patients in Sussex are receiving new targeted treatments.
Those attending the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton are taking part in a clinical trial for advanced prostate cancer, as part of the phase three national STAMPEDE2 trial.
Led locally by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex), the trial combines hormone therapy with a radiopharmaceutical drug and a high-precision form of radiotherapy.
Professor Sabina Dizdarevic, divisional research and innovation director at UHSussex, said: “We’re delighted to see the first Sussex patients now benefiting from innovative treatments and taking part in the STAMPEDE2 trial as part of our Trust’s commitment to give patients better access to research.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see local patients, such as Darius, receiving therapies that are at the forefront of prostate cancer research.
“This trial is an important step in developing more effective treatments for advanced prostate cancer, and we are proud that the team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton is playing a key role in this national research.”
The first patient in Sussex to receive the targeted radiopharmaceutical drug, Lutetium PSMA, through the trial is 61-year-old Darius Aibara from Worthing.
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He said: “The treatment itself has been painless, and everything has gone very smoothly.
“The team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital have been fantastic and the care I’ve received has been excellent. I feel optimistic about how things are going and I’m hopeful the treatment will continue to work.”
Mr Aibara has so far completed four treatment sessions, delivered alongside chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
Patients in the trial receive either the radiopharmaceutical drug or a form of external radiotherapy known as Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR), both in combination with hormone therapy.
The STAMPEDE2 trial is supported by the Sussex Cancer Fund.
Steve Crocker, trustee and head of research at the Sussex Cancer Fund, said: “We’re proud to fund a wide range of bench-to-bedside research that helps deepen our understanding of cancer and ultimately improve outcomes for patients.
“Supporting projects like STAMPEDE2 at Royal Sussex County Hospital is incredibly important to us.