Study at University of Leeds offers hope for “new standard” in leukaemia care

A study has found that personalised treatment for the most common form of adult leukaemia is helping patients to survive for longer and to stay in remission.

The trial led by the University of Leeds found therapy could be individualised for each patient by using regular blood tests to monitor their response.

Cancer Research UK said treatment could be tailored without the need for frequent “invasive” bone marrow tests and researchers hope this approach will be adopted as a new standard of care.

As part of the trial, patients were given a combination of cancer growth blocking drugs over various durations, depending on how rapidly their disease responded.  The trial found this significantly improved outcomes compared with the standard treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) with more than 19 in 20 patients in remission three years after commencing treatment.

Lead author Professor Peter Hillmen, said the results had been “exceptional”, adding “Our findings show that, for this group of patients, the treatment is very effective at tackling their disease and is well tolerated by them.

“This means that patients on our trial had better outcomes while also enjoying a better quality of life during their treatment.”

Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK, said the study showed the “importance and effectiveness” of tailoring cancer treatment to individual patents.

He said “Not only this, but the trial has found a way to do so without requiring bone marrow tests which are more invasive and can be painful.

“The collaborative effort that went into this trial – involving researchers, healthcare professionals, funders and dedicated patients and their families – points to a new standard of care which could see real progress made against leukaemia.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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