Prostate cancer patient receives cutting-edge therapy

A prostate cancer patient from Worthing has become the first in Sussex to receive an innovative new treatment.

Darius Aibara, 61, has been given a specialised radiopharmaceutical drug called Lutetium PSMA at Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital as part of the latest national trial.

Diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer late last year, Aibara has completed four sessions so far, alongside chemotherapy and hormone therapy, with a couple more sessions still to come.

"Everything has gone painlessly and smoothly, and I feel optimistic about how things are going," he said.

"The team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital have been fantastic and the care I've received has been excellent," added the retired civil engineer, who admitted to feeling worried about joining a clinical trial at first.

"It's also a nice setting for treatment and I'm hopeful it will continue to work."

Lutetium PSMA is administered via a drip and travels through the bloodstream seeking out prostate cancer cells before hitting them with targeted internal radiation, the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust says.

Before receiving this treatment, patients undergo a specialist scan which uses a small amount of radioactive material, injected into the bloodstream, to help detect exactly where any cancerous cells may be located.

A high‑precision form of radiotherapy is also being given to some as part of the trail, which has received funding from the Brighton and Hove-based Sussex Cancer Fund charity.

"It's incredibly rewarding to see local patients, such as Darius, receiving therapies that are at the forefront of prostate cancer research," said Professor Sabina Dizdarevic, who is spearheading the research for the trust.

"This trial is an important step in developing more effective treatments for advanced prostate cancer, and we are proud that the team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital is playing a key role."

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.