A CHARITY campaigner has hailed trailblazing advances in prostate cancer treatment with a new drug which can be taken at home rather than in hospital.

Paul Sayer, from Southend, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 after discovering a lump.

The cancer was detected early enough that it was treatable and Mr Sayer has since gone on to spearhead Southend charity Prost8.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is now recommending the drug, enzalutamide, as an option for treating some types of prostate cancer.

The treatment has been used during the pandemic as a “Covid-friendly” cancer drug, which patients can take in the comfort of their own home instead of needing intravenous medication.

Mr Sayer, 65, said: “Enzalutamide will be a great boost for men with advanced cancers where there is spread outside of the actual prostate capsule. In addition to its efficacy in slowing advanced cancer, the biggest benefit is that it is capable of home administration.

“This will speed up accessibility to treatment as it avoids the need to enter the Covid sensitive environment of a hospital.”

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Clinical trials have shown that the treatment increases the time until the disease gets worse and how long people live.

It is estimated that about 8,500 men will be able to access the drug, which works by blocking the effect of the hormone testosterone.

Without testosterone, the prostate cancer cells cannot grow.

Mr Sayer added: “It is worth noting that amazing advances are also being made in early stage prostate cancers, as well as in those that reoccur after previous radiotherapy treatment.

“At the forefront of these is focal therapy, which uses either minimally invasive ultrasound or cryotherapy (freezing of the tumour).

“These are delivered as a day stay procedure within a self-contained, sterile treatment suite in the hospital so remove the risk of interaction with the wider hospital environment.

“Patients return home the same day, often within just a few hours of admission, to recover safely.

“I was fortunate enough to benefit from focal therapy and it is revolutionising treatment of prostate cancer.”