THE wife of a cancer sufferer is to study genetics to help her to understand the causes of his condition.

Chris Perks has endured five operations and gruelling courses of chemotherapy since he was first diagnosed with cancer 15 years ago.

Over the years, the father-of-two has been diagnosed with five different forms of the disease.

His wife, Deborah, a mature student, has been accepted for a place at the University of Durham's Stockton campus to read for a BSc honours in biological human sciences.

Mr Perks, from Stockton, said: "She wants to study genetics to understand how it happened. Deborah has been my rock in the most difficult of times, and her positive outlook has been fantastic. She has been everything, a nurse to me when things were really grim, a wonderful wife and mother, and all of us are terrifically proud of her."

His wife has gained a raft of computer and office qualifications at evening school and sailed through a Wednesday for Women educational course, laid on by Stockton Sixth Form College and the University of Durham, to encourage women back into education.

Mrs Perks said: "I left Ian Ramsey Secondary School in Stockton with hardly any qualifications, but the teaching now is absolutely wonderful and totally different."

She said the Wednesday for Women course has changed her life.

"I just loved doing it - two hours a week just wasn't enough," said the 45-year-old mother-of-two.

"I never want it to end, and when we were asked if we wanted to continue and do a foundation course in preparation for going to university, I jumped at the chance."

Martin Clinton, principal of Stockton Sixth Form College, said: "Deborah, like so many other women who have succeeded on the course, is driven by enthusiasm and determination, and it is wonderful that she is going to do a degree."