Adrian Cure of Wellesbourne found out on Monday that Sutent had reduced the size of his tumours.

And he is now celebrating with friends and family.

But the medication is not available on the NHS in Warwickshire - meaning Mr Cure's only way of obtaining it was through a drugs trial.

He said: "This proves that it works and should be routinely funded for all kidney cancer patients.

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"The news didn't sink in at first. It was only when people were saying 'well done' that I realised what it meant.

"It's absolutely fantastic. I'm exactly where I hoped I'd be."
When doctors diagnosed Mr Cure with kidney cancer last year, he was given 12 months to live.

The diseased kidney was removed, but tumours appeared on his liver and lungs and he was told Sutent was his best chance of living for longer.

But Warwickshire Primary Care Trust - which funds all NHS care in the county - ruled it would not be cost effective to give Adrian the drug.
The father-of-three refused to give up hope.

Luckily, he was accepted onto a trial for Sutent at New Cross Hospital in Wolver-hampton - where he had a scan to see if it was working.

He said: "It's now 21 months since I was diagnosed and I'm still here. I am still working and contributing to society and living a full life. How can that not be cost-effective?"

In draft guidance published last month, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said four new drugs to treat advanced kidney cancer - including Sutent, which costs £3,000 a month - were too expensive for use by the NHS and the money would be better spent elsewhere.

But Adrian, 50, and his wife Jane think it has made a serious mistake. She said: "The drug is not just suppressing the cancer, it's really fighting against it.

"We have spoken to other kidney cancer patients taking Sutent and one has been on it for up to two years and it's still working.

"You can't put a price on life. Without this drug, I may not have had my husband and the children may not have had their father.

"It's had such a fantastic impact on our lives. We feel so much more positive than we did six month ago - we know that Ade has been given the best shot and so should all patients."

* NICE will makes its final ruling on Sutent in January. Adrian's drug trial finishes in May.