AN Adlington cancer victim, who was given just two years to live, is on the road to full recovery after receiving pioneering cancer treatment at Manchester's Christie Hospital.

Richard Duxbury, who was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma - a type of bone cancer - in 1991, is the first patient to receive the revolutionary stem cell cancer treatment.

The life-saving treatment involves taking cells from the patient's blood for the transplant procedure which is combined with a rigorous course of chemotherapy.

Now the father-of-three, of Westhoughton Road, is fighting fit and looking forward to the future as he makes regular trips to his local gym to pump iron and scuba dive!

He said: "Finding out that I had cancer was a real shock and I was frightened, but as soon as I arrived at the Christie Hospital I knew that I was in safe hands.

"When my consultant told me that a new form of treatment, a stem cell transplant, was my best chance of recovery, I had no hesitation in becoming one of the first patients to undergo the treatment."

Now, Richard is urging people in the Chorley area to support Christie's £25 million Cancer Centenary Appeal which aims to raise cash for research into cancer diagnosis.

Although £16 million has already been raised, the hospital say the pot is almost empty after funding the existing cancer treatment.

Richard said: "Thanks to the Christie Hospital and its unique developments in cancer care, I have got my life back. The £25 million Christies against Cancer Appeal will ensure that many more people can too."

To make a donation to the Cancer Centenary Appeal call 0161 446 3988.

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