A Colchester dad will this week become only the sixth person in the world to get a pioneering cancer treatment – with his son acting as his donor.

The radical therapy, devised by a doctor from Beaumont, near Harwich, could be the last chance for 67-year-old Tony Gilson, who has been fighting cancer for two years.

The Brightlingsea father-of-three, is to be injected with “cancer-killing cells” taken from his son, Marcos, and “activated” in a laboratory.

Marcos, 36, of Chaucer Way, Colchester, said: “The results so far have been really good and all five of the previous patients to have the treatment are now in remission.

“I feel privileged to be able to help my dad in this way. It’s pretty amazing to be part of this pioneering medicine.”

Cancer-killing blood cells were taken from Marcos during three five-and-a-half hour sessions over a course of a few days.

His father, who was diagnosed with an Acute Myeloid Leukaemia two years ago, is undergoing chemotherapy, ready to receive the blood cells on Friday.

It is hoped the cells will survive in his system and kill the deadly cancer, which normally has a survival rate or just 5 per cent.

The procedure – funded by the charity, Leukemia Research – is the brainchild of Dr Mark Lowdell, who lives in Beaumont and works at the Royal Free Hospital, in London’s Hampstead.

Dr Lowdell, senior lecturer in haematology at the hospital, said: “It was one of those unique moments when someone has an idea and there is money available to carry out a trial.”

He said he was delighted by the success of the trials, which began a year ago, and is now hoping it can also be used to treat patients with ovarian and breast cancer.

Dr Lowdell added: “I would never claim it was a cure for cancer, but it may well be a very useful and important way of treating the disease.

“We have certainly seen real benefits in those patients who have received the treatment.”

Each treatment costs between £6,000 to £7,000, which Dr Lowdell says is relatively cheap, compared with the cost of the bone marrow transplants sometimes performed to treat cancer at between £80,000 and £100,000 an operation.