North East researchers to tackle children's cancer with new trial

Researchers in the North East have begun a new clinical trial in a bid to tackle children’s cancer.

Journal Live has reported that the Northern Institute for Cancer Research will make up part of the largest study for treatment of childhood relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

Some 19 countries will take part in the consortium and scientists in the region will work with 18 teams from both European and non-European countries, with the study focusing on the FLOW MRD, helping to identifying small quantities of leukaemic cells in children.

Such a method has been developed by North East scientists for more than a decade, due to the help of patients and funding from the North of England’s Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

The researchers believe the trial will establish the best treatment for children who relapsed in their initial course of treatment for ALL, and will involve the use of a new drug entitled Epratizumab.

Dr Julie Irving, who will lead the research, said: “The fact that 19 countries have got together to work as a group to test new drugs and establish better treatments for children whose leukaemia has relapsed is testament to the strength of the research being carried out.”

Ms Irving explained that the study offers hope that a cure could be found for children who relapse.

For every 450 people diagnosed with ALL, 30 will relapse, while only five out of ten people who do relapse will be cured.

As well as this, the cure rate for those who are first diagnosed is eight out of ten.

“The study is offering tangible hope that we may be able to find a cure for those children who relapse and whose outlook would otherwise not be as good.

“The fact that the North East is leading the study in the UK is recognition of the hard work that has already been undertaken in the area into children’s relapse of ALL," she added.

Posted by Neil Clark