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Cancer

Innovative Blood Cancer Treatment Extends Remission by Seven Months on Average

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A groundbreaking clinical trial conducted by the University of Leeds has revealed an innovative treatment regime for myeloma, a blood cancer that accounts for 1 in 50 new cancer diagnoses in the UK. The trial, led by Professor Gordon Cook, has demonstrated that a treatment combining a second stem cell transplant from the patient's own bone marrow, thalidomide, dexamethasone, and ixazomib, can extend disease-free survival by seven months on average. This treatment not only improves patients' time free from myeloma but also enhances their quality of life compared to traditional chemotherapy or long-term steroid use.

Key Takeaways:

  • The clinical trial, led by Professor Gordon Cook, showed that an innovative treatment regime extended disease-free survival by seven months on average for myeloma patients.
  • The treatment, which combines a second stem cell transplant, thalidomide, dexamethasone, and ixazomib, improved patients' quality of life compared to traditional chemotherapy or long-term steroid use.
  • Ixazomib targets myeloma cells by stopping the breakdown of damaged or unwanted proteins, allowing new, healthy cells to grow while myeloma cells are repressed.
  • The treatment is an alternative option for patients who are well enough to undergo a second bone marrow transplant.
  • The trial was conducted across 79 UK hospitals and was funded by Cancer Research UK and Takeda Oncology.
  • Professor John Snowden, co-author of the study, highlighted the benefits of the treatment, stating that it "confirmed benefits for patients with relapsed myeloma by providing them with significantly improved length of remission."

Statistics:

  • 1 in 50 new cancer diagnoses in the UK are myeloma.
  • The treatment extended disease-free survival by seven months on average.
  • 79 UK hospitals participated in the clinical trial.
  • The trial was funded by Cancer Research UK (60%) and Takeda Oncology (40%).

Sources:

  • University of Leeds News Release
  • The Lancet Haematology
  • Cancer Research UK
  • Stand Up To Cancer
  • UK Myeloma Research Alliance
  • National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR)

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