A CANCER patient from Colchester has become the first in the UK to test a new chemotherapy drug.

The man is being treated for prostate cancer at Essex County Hospital, in Colchester.

He is the first person in the country to receive the drug, Cabazitaxel, in a bid to prolong his life.

The man cannot be named because of a confidentiality agreement with the drug company.

He has been receiving the drug every three weeks at the Lexden Road hospital’s Mary Barron Suite during ten courses of chemotherapy.

He is half way through the trial and has five courses of chemotherapy left.

The patient said: “I will try anything because I want to live.

“I am grateful to be given the opportunity to take part in the trial.

“Cancer care has improved because people have been prepared to take part in trials and I hope my involvement will help patients in the future.”

A study by the Lancet Medical Journal last year found Cabazitaxel could prolong the life of patients with advanced prostate cancer by at least two months.

Dr Bruce Sizer, consultant oncologist based at Essex County Hospital, said: “Many people assume only major teaching hospitals take part in these types of trial, but Colchester has a long track record of participating in national and international cancer studies.

“At Essex County Hospital, we have an eight-strong clinical trials unit that includes research sisters and other research nurses.

“It has expanded to add a radiotherapy research radiographer.”

About one in ten patients treated for cancer by Colchester’s hospital trust takes part in some sort of research.

In recent years, more than 250 patients in Colchester with bowel cancer have taken part in national and international studies.

Many patients with breast cancer have taken part in trials and the trust was the third highest recruiter out of 30 hospital trusts for a bladder cancer trial.

The trust has also taken part in a series of international research trials in ovarian cancer.