A WOODLEY man diagnosed with prostate cancer a month before losing his brother to the same condition is now running half marathons after taking part in an NHS drugs trial.
Peter Glass, 72, took part in a trial of a new prostate cancer drug at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading and completed his eighth half marathon in March.
He is now urging others to volunteer for research after figures revealed there were 9,560 people in studies supported by the National Institute for Health Research in Berkshire in the past 12 months.
The father-of-one, diagnosed aged 63 in May 2010, said: “The diagnosis was an awful shock. My parents both lived into their 90s, but at 63 I suddenly started thinking that I might only last another three to five years.”
Peter lost his older brother, David, to the condition a month after his own diagnosis. David, who lived in Australia, was diagnosed in 2003 and died in 2010 aged 65.
“I knew that the news was coming. I planned to dash out to Australia to see him one last time but sadly I didn’t because my surgeon warned me that it would be dangerous to travel because of my own cancer,” added Peter.
“Because he was far away and I had so many things to think about following my own diagnosis, I was very much numb to the loss of my brother at the time.”
Ater surgery to remove his prostate gland, Mr Glass was treated with hormone injections every 12 weeks to reduce testosterone, which makes prostate cancer cells grow faster. He was almost clear of his cancer until a blood test revealed it was returning in August 2017.
He then took part in trials with a new drug, darolutamide, regarded as a safe and effective treatment for men with prostate cancer where the disease has returned.
“I was well aware that the alternative was chemotherapy and I’d also heard from other people that this trial drug had far fewer side effects, so when I was offered the chance to go on the trial, I thought that sounded like a much better option,” he added.
“I felt extremely well soon after taking part in the trial and the side effects were minimal.”
Peter, who is still taking the drug, cycles, runs and goes for walks with wife Yvonne and daughter Heather. He also ran the Wokingham Half Marathon in February and Reading Half Marathon in March for the hospital’s Royal Berks Charity.
The former civil engineer said: “It’s quite an achievement and very satisfying to be able to run 13 miles at my age. As the trial drug has had no side effects, I feel great and I can just get on with my life.
“I have also been able to improve the distance I could cycle and I can now manage 80 miles in a day. I’d have no hesitation in recommending research to others, I’ve been looked after well and it has been a very positive experience for me.”
Professor Belinda Lennox, Clinical Director for the NIHR Clinical Research Network Thames Valley and South Midlands, said: “We have had another fantastic year delivering research across our region.
“The hard work of the research nurses, consultants and other healthcare professionals we support has led to the number of participants in clinical research increasing in Berkshire to 9,560.
“That is people from right across the region, in hospitals, community settings and GP practices.
“With more people taking part in research, we can make advances in medical research more rapidly than ever before, developing new treatments for the most serious, life threatening illnesses, and improving the care that our NHS can provide as a result.”
