CANCER survivors Alan Hodgson and James Cook were among hundreds of North-East men who took part in a major charity run yesterday.

The Cancer Research UK Men's Cancer Run, in Newcastle's Exhibition Park, was the first to be held in the region.

Alan Hodgson, 46, from Spennymoor, County Durham, and James Cook, 30, from Hexham, Northumberland, have both been treated for testicular cancer.

Both men ran alongside a team of Cancer Research UK scientists from Newcastle University who are investigating new treatments for prostate cancer.

Mr Hodgson said: "I'm delighted to be able to take part in Cancer Research UK's Men's Cancer Run because research has made a huge difference to my life. It's helped keep me and my family together."

Event organiser Jill Campbell said she was delighted with the response.

Mrs Campbell, from East Boldon, South Tyneside, said: It's fantastic to see so many people uniting in one cause.

"More than one in three men in the UK will get cancer at some point in their lifetime and 6,700 men are diagnosed with the disease in the North East every year. The only thing that will improve these figures is research.

"Everybody taking part in Cancer Research UK's Men's Cancer Run is actively contributing to advances that will save lives."

About 1,300 men are diagnosed with lung cancer and 1,200 are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the region every year. There are about 100 cases of testicular cancer and nearly 1,000 cases of bowel cancer annually.