THE funeral of cancer victim Stephen Dallison 35, who fought a high-profile campaign to be prescribed the life-extending drug Sunitinib, is being held in Oxford on June 5.

Mr Dallison, of Iffley Road, Oxford, died at the Churchill Hospital after a long fight against kidney cancer.

He fought a three-month battle with Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust to receive Sunitinib after initially being refused it.

A particle physicist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, he was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer in July 2007.

The cancer spread to his lungs and brain, but he was able to live a comfortable life and continue to work until his admission to hospital after winning his battle for Sunitinib.

He was prominent in a nationwide campaign for the drug to be freely prescribed on the NHS – and in February the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) agreed to do so.

Mr Dallison, of Iffley Road, Oxford, died on Saturday, May 23 – just hours after marrying fiancée Olivia Glover, 27. The couple had been due to marry in the summer, but Mr Dallison’s health deteriorated rapidly.

Mr Dallison, who grew up in West Sussex, enjoyed the natural world, science and science fiction, particularly Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica.

His wife described him as kind and gentle, and fellow campaigners said he was an inspiration.

He is survived by brother John and mother Elizabeth, who live in West Sussex.

His funeral is being held at Corpus Christi Church, Marston Road, Headington, at 11.30am.

He will be buried at Wolvercote Cemetery.

His family is asking for donations to be made to UCARE (Urology Cancer Research and Education).