Men with advanced prostate cancer could be treated by new drugs being tested in Belfast.

Belfast City Hospital joins other leading research hospitals around the world in using the experimental drugs designed to help men whose cancer has spread to the bones.

Because the radiotherapy, known as an alpha-pharmaceutical, only works over very small distances the width of a few cells health tissues like bone marrow appear to remain relatively unharmed, specialists behind the trial said.

Dr Joe O'Sullivan from Belfast City Hospital said: "Around 10,000 men in the UK die from prostate cancer each year and in at least 80% of these men the cancer will have spread to the bones, which can cause severe pain as well as further reducing life expectancy.

"Currently, there are limited effective treatments for prostate cancer which has spread to the bones once hormone therapy becomes ineffective."

He said the treatment, known as Radium 223, was administered through an injection.

Dr O'Sullivan added: "Earlier clinical trial results with Radium 223 have been encouraging and have suggested it may increase survival rates and improve quality of life."