Prostate cancer patient back to running following drugs trial

A Berkshire man who was diagnosed with prostate cancer is back to running half marathons after taking part in an NHS drugs trial.

Peter Glass, who is 72 and from Woodley, was offered the ARAMIS trial at the Royal Berkshire Hospital to see if a new drug is a safe and effective treatment.

Peter was diagnosed with prostate cancer nine years ago.

Following the drugs trial, he is able to get out at least three times a week and completed his 8th half marathon in March.

He says: "This year I am getting older and I am of course receiving a second hormone treatment, but nevertheless, I ran the Wokingham half marathon in February and the Reading half marathon in March, both in under 2 hours and 18 minutes."

The former civil engineer was diagnosed with the disease a month before losing his brother to the same condition.

After surgery to remove his prostate gland, he was initially treated with hormone injections and was almost clear of his cancer until a blood test in 2017 revealed it was returning.

Peter was offered the ARAMIS trial at the Royal Berkshire Hospital to see if a new drug, Darolutamide, is a safe and effective treatment for men with recurrent prostate cancer.

So far, initial analysis of the trial has proven positive.

Emma Vowell from the Berkshire Cancer Centre says: "The study that Peter was involved in was comparing a placebo tablet with an active tablet with a new anti-antigen medication, which is aiming to stop the hormones from the prostate gland. This was a new medication that wasn't previously available and gives patients another option of treatment before they have to progress to treatments with more side effects such as chemotherapy."

For now, Peter says it has allowed him to get on with his life and he feels great.

"I don't know how long I'm going to live, but I do know I'm having a great life and I'm jolly well going to enjoy it for as long as I can."

• Watch Mel Bloor's report below