All posts in Research
Australian study first ever to use CAR T-cells to prevent relapse after treatment
In a world first, the Australian COMMITTAL trial uses CAR T-cell therapy to improve survival for people with B-cell ALL who have an allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Dr Ken Micklethwaite, a clinical haematologist and bone marrow physician, who runs the CAR T-cell program at The Westmead Institute of Medical Research (Sydney), describes the […]
New PBS drug will mean better outcomes for families
A drug used to treat a rare form of Hodgkin lymphoma is now widely available through the national Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), saving families thousands of dollars. The PBS listing of brentuximab vedotin gives Australians access to a potentially life-saving treatment that previously cost up to $16,100 for a single course. The Leukaemia Foundation presented […]
Improving lymphoma outcomes with personal touch
A recent review of the latest medical advances for people with Hodgkin lymphoma has highlighted how personalised treatment is improving outcomes for patients. Professor Maher Gandhi, the Leukaemia Foundation Chair in Blood Cancer Research at The University of Queensland’s Diamantina Institute, said the new approaches were aimed at “minimising toxicity while maximising response”. He […]
Research highlights the costs of relocating for cancer treatment
The heavy costs associated with relocating to the city for blood cancer treatment have been revealed in new research funded with the help of our generous supporters. Associate Professor Pam McGrath, from the Centre for Community Science at Griffith University, said the financial burden of getting to treatment was not well-known and was especially […]
Life after treatment: what’s next?
We support many blood cancer patients after their diagnosis and throughout lifesaving treatment but we also recognise this can often be just the start of a patient’s blood cancer survival story. Whether they go into remission or require ongoing treatment, all patients face issues of adjustment and change as they transition back into their lives. “Surviving blood cancer brings its own set of […]
Breakthrough therapy gives hope for new leukaemia treatment
In a world-first clinical trial, Melbourne medical researchers have shown that patients with an advanced form of leukaemia can achieve complete remission with a novel tablet treatment. Clinical trials of the potent new anti-cancer drug venetoclax showed it was effective in killing cancer cells in people with advanced forms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) […]
Examining the link between Down syndrome and blood cancer
People with Down syndrome have a heightened risk of developing a blood cancer or disorder, with research indicating an extra copy of a blood cell development gene might be responsible. The role of the gene, called the Erg gene, in predisposing to Down syndrome blood disorders is being examined by Dr Ashley Ng, a researcher at […]
New drug combination offers new hope to patients
The Leukaemia Foundation is proud to have funded four researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre working on the development of a new drug, CX-5461, currently being evaluated in a clinical trial for patients with advanced blood cancers. Results from the trial have been promising to date, however the research team has found that CX-5461 could be even […]
Targeting cancer ‘survival’ protein to kill cancer cells
A protein critical for the survival of many cancer cells, called MCL-1, might be the key to a new treatment for lymphoma and leukaemia patients. Leukaemia Foundation funded researcher Dr Stephanie Grabow and her team, in particular Drs Gemma Kelly and Brandon Aubrey at Melbourne’s Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, are investigating […]
Unravelling the genetic mysteries of myeloma
Despite being the third most common blood cancer affecting more than 1500 Australians each year, mystery surrounds the development of myeloma. What we do know is that in almost every case, myeloma develops from a benign (non-cancerous) disease known as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). We just don’t know how. Looking at the […]