IN 2012, Alfred was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer which had already spread to his bones.   

As surgery wouldn’t have been effective, Alfred enrolled in the Cancer Research UK-funded STAMPEDE trial, which tested the drug abiraterone.

Alfred responded well to the treatment and his cancer is stable. 

“If it wasn’t for abiraterone, I don’t think I’d be here today,” he says.

“Cancer Research UK spends money wisely, which is why I think they deserve people’s support.  

“When I was first told I had prostate cancer, my first thought was to ask: ‘How long?’

“Being told to think short term rather than long term completely deflated me, but it was even more difficult breaking the news to my wife and children.  

“To hear about the STAMPEDE clinical trial gave me hope. I want to say a huge thank you to people who support Cancer Research UK, from the bottom of my heart.”

Alfred and his wife Grace at OXO Tower in London.Alfred and his wife Grace at OXO Tower in London. (Image: Jane Stockdale)

Gifts in wills fund one-third of Cancer Research UK’s work. Work that supports life-saving trials for people like Alfred.

Last year 7,875 supporters pledged a gift in their wills to Cancer Research UK and together they’ve helped to double cancer survival in the UK.

But one in two people will get cancer in their lifetime, so more work needs to be done.

By pledging a gift in your will, you’ll help to fund new ways to outsmart cancer and bring about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.

To find out how you can leave a gift in your will, visit www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/leave-a-legacy-gift-in-your-will.

About abiraterone

Abiraterone was discovered and developed by researchers at the Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics at the Institute of Cancer Research.

Cancer Research UK helped fund the drug's early trials and supported its commercial development through our translation arm, Cancer Research Technology.

Alfred took part in the STAMPEDE clinical trial, which was funded by Cancer Research UK.