Royal Bournemouth Hospital conducts research for new cancer treatment

The research, conducted alongside the University of Southampton and the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine in Austria, is a breakthrough in the understanding of a form of the illness - Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) - which mostly affects the over-60s.

The disease produces too many white blood cells, called lymphocytes, in the bone marrow and lymph glands, which spill over into the blood.

Initially the vast majority of patients do not have any symptoms. Many remain stable but those who progress have a higher risk of picking up infections, of persistent tiredness and of swollen glands in the neck, armpits or groin.

Previous research studies have identified genes in some CLL patients that become mutated as the disease progresses, allowing doctors to predict whether a patient will respond poorly to treatment.

The most recent research study uses new technology to identify whether a patient’s faulty genes are active or inactive, allowing researchers to explore gene patterns associated with patient survival.

Dr Renata Walewska of RBH said: “This new study illustrates the generosity of RBH’s local patients, who donated blood samples for analysis, and of the Bournemouth Leukaemia Fund in sponsoring our research.

“We hope our findings will contribute to a major advance in the understanding of CLL with potential benefits for patients living with CLL around the world.

“The study would not have been possible without the amazing efforts and tireless fundraising of Estelle Wilson, Shirley Sherman and the Bournemouth Leukemia Fund Friends committee.”

It is hoped the new information will allow scientists to explore more personalised ways of treating the disease to increase patient life span. The new research may also pave the way to a cure for CLL in the future.

The Bournemouth Leukemia Fund supports the trust’s molecular haematology scientists in their research of leukaemia and lymphoma.