World-first test predicts Leukaemia treatment outcomes

For the first time, Leukaemia Foundation-funded researchers in Brisbane have developed a test that will give patients with an aggressive form of lymphoma certainty about their treatment options.

Our chair in Blood Cancer Research at the UQ Diamantina Institute, Professor Maher Gandhi, said the new tool could predict how patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) will respond to standard treatment and help clinicians identify the best treatment option for each patient.

Professor Gandhi said this type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was the sixth most common form of cancer, with up to 2000 Australians diagnosed each year.

“It can be fast growing and aggressive, so early diagnosis is vital, as is swift treatment,” he said.

“Fortunately, the majority of cases respond very well to the current first line treatment, which is a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

“However, some patients do not respond, and for these people the prognosis is poor.”

“The test will allow clinicians like myself to determine which patients are unlikely to respond well to standard treatment, thus avoiding ineffective and unnecessary chemotherapy and prompting consideration of other treatment options.”

“This isn’t just another test, it’s a game changer,” our CEO Bill Petch said.

> Click here to read the full article on the Leukaemia Foundation website