How research is helping 1,000s

IT consultant Keith Roxburgh was on holiday in Menorca when he first noticed something different.

“I was having much more of an urge to go to the loo,” says Keith, 59, from Edinburgh. “But I delayed going to the doctor.

“In my heart I knew something was wrong, so I wasn’t shocked to find out I had prostate cancer.”

Father-of-three Keith, who is married to Brenda, was told he had advanced prostate cancer in 2012. Tests showed it had spread to his spine and bones.

He was asked to go on the STAMPEDE trial, supported by Cancer Research UK. Trials are vital for testing new treatments and finding better ways to tackle cancer. For Keith, that involved having a bonestrengthening drug, treatment to lower his hormone levels, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

“I believe we’re all dealt a hand of cards and you’ve got to see what you can do to improve the hand you’ve got,” said Keith. “This trial might not benefit me but I would love to think that, in the future, it’s something that could help hundreds, or even thousands, of others.

“Without research we won’t find the solutions we need to get control over this horrible disease.”