Cancer sufferer Clive Denton has won his battle to get drugs to extend his life.

The 66-year-old retired engineer from Pested Lane, Challock, has life-threatening bone marrow cancer.

He has been fighting the health authority for months after they refused him treatment with a specialist drug that could extend his life by years.

After his case was taken up by the Kentish Express three weeks, the publicity has helped reverse that decision, according to his wife Gaynor.

She said the decision to finally grant her husband the drug he needs had lifted a huge cloud than has been hanging over the family since May 2008.

She said: “We are overjoyed by the news. Draft changes in NICE guidance concerning Revlimid on Friday undoubtedly influenced the Trust to reverse previous refusals.

“We are often quick to focus on the negative side of media attention but our case shows that it can equally help focus attention and pressure organisations to reconsider and sometimes reverse unfair and irrational decisions.

“For our family the Kentish Express gave us a voice which was eventually heard by a huge audience thanks to radio and TV and we feel this made a difference.

In a statement the NHS Eastern and Coastal Primary Care Trust said they decided Mr Denton’s case history meets the guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence(NICE), and therefore has approved his treatment with the drug.

Meanwhile Eastern and Coastal had referred the case to another PCT for independent assessment. That decided that the previous processes had been robust and its decision was rational.

For more on this story, see Thursday's Kentish Express