Scientists from Cardiff University have developed an unparalleled new test, funded by charities Cancer Research UK and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, that can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). They have published their findings in the British Journal of Haematology .
More than 3,000 people in the UK - most of which are over the age of 60 - are diagnosed with CLL every year. It is one of the most common cancers of the blood and so-called because it affects the white blood cells called lymphocytes. Once diagnosed, outcomes vary amongst patients; some only survive for a couple of months while others might never need treatment.
At the end of our chromosomes are tiny repeating pieces of DNA called telomeres that stop the chromosomes from deteriorating when a cell divides or from fusing with one another. Each time such a division occurs, the telomeres shorten until the cells can’t divide any further, and then a signal is sent to the cell to let it know it should stop dividing, and then die. But in cells with CLL, the signal doesn’t get through.
By measuring the length of the telomeres in patients with CLL, the test can help doctors to work out how much time a patient has left and what the best course of action and medication might be for that patient.
“This should prove enormously valuable to doctors, patients and their families,” said lead researcher Professor Chris Pepper, adding that there is nothing hindering the use of "this powerful prognostic tool" as soon as clinical trials are out of the way.
Henry Scowcroft from Cancer Research UK said that one of the most difficult things a person and their family and friends have to go through after a cancer diagnosis is the waiting and not knowing what is going to happen. “Anything that could help patients plan their lives and immediate futures can only be a good thing,” he added.
Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research ’s Dr Matt Kaiser said that the accuracy seen in the test has never been seen before, and if it can be further proved in clinical trials, “[the test] would help doctors decide on the best treatment courses for CLL patients”.
And, if the clinical trials do show the viability for such a prognosis test for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, it could even be developed for other kinds of cancer, effectively eliminating one of the hardest parts of coping with the illness.
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