Leukaemia & Lymphoma Clinical Trials

Leukaemia is the general name given to a group of cancers of white blood cells, or other blood-forming cells, that develop in the bone marrow. 

It originates in blood cells that multiply in an uncontrolled way and don’t mature properly – these cells then don’t function as they should. This is referred to as a malignant change.

The disease is grouped in two ways: the type of blood cell affected, and how quickly the disease develops. 

Myeloid and lymphocytic refers to the type of cells where the cancer first started: the myeloid stem cells or lymphoid stem cells.

Acute and chronic leukaemia refer to the speed in which the cancer develops: acute appears suddenly and grows quickly, whereas chronic appears gradually and develops slowly.

Common forms of acute leukaemia are acute myeloid leukaemia; acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and acute promyelocytic leukaemia. 

Common forms of chronic leukaemia are chronic myeloid leukaemia; chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and hairy cell leukaemia.

Lymphoma is the general term for cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. This system is made up of a vast network of vessels that branch out into all tissues in the body. These vessels contain lymph. 

What is lymph? It’s a colourless watery fluid that carries lymphocytes. And lymphocytes? They’re specialised white blood cells that fight infection. There are two types of them – B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes (B-cells and T-cells).

B-cells and T-cells can undergo a malignant change – they multiply without any proper order and form tumours (collections of cancer cells). These tumours cause swelling within the lymph nodes, and in other parts of the body.

Eventually, these malignant lymphocytes crowd out the normal lymphocytes. Eventually, the immune system becomes weakened and can no longer function properly.

There are 40 different subtypes of lymphoma. Five of these sub-types are categorised into a group of diseases called Hodgkin lymphoma, and the other ones are grouped together and called non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

People with chronic leukaemia may not experience symptoms early on. They may only develop symptoms after years of having the disease. Symptoms may include anaemia; a high temperature; night sweats; swollen glands; unintentional weight loss, and more.

Symptoms of acute leukaemia include tiredness; anaemia; repeated infections; recurrent nose bleeds; bone pain, and increased bruising and bleeding.

Common symptoms of lymphoma include unexplained fevers; swelling of the lymph glands; swelling of the abdomen; fatigue; generalised itching or rash, and more.

Leukaemia treatment is dictated by the type of leukaemia a person has. Acute leukaemias need to be treated typically within 24 hours of diagnosis.

For acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, treatment options include chemotherapy; peripheral blood stem cells transplantation; bone marrow transplantation; radiotherapy to the head and steroid therapy.

Treatment options for acute myeloid leukaemia include chemotherapy; peripheral blood stem cells transplantation, and radiotherapy to the head.

For chronic lymphoblastic leukaemia, treatment includes radiation therapy; chemotherapy; surgery, and monoclonal antibody therapy.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia can be treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitory therapy; chemotherapy; biologic therapy; high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant; donor lymphocyte infusion and surgery.

Treatment for lymphoma also depends on the type. Hodgkin lymphoma usually involves chemotherapy; radiotherapy, or a combination of both. A stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant) may be used.

Treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma depends on the grade of the lymphoma (low-grade, intermediate-grade or high-grade). 

Low-grade lymphoma treatment includes radiotherapy. Intermediate-grade and high-grade lymphomas are treated with chemotherapy. If it is in the later stages, treatment may be needed immediately after diagnosis.

The five-year survival rate for Hodgkin lymphoma is 87.5%. These days, most people treated for the disease can be cured. Many others who are treated remain disease-free, and well for a long time.

The five-year survival rate for non-Hodgkin lymphomas is 74.3%. B-cell non-Hodkin lymphomas have a higher chance of cure. For almost every type of non-Hodkin lymphoma, even if it cannot be cured, it can be controlled for many years. 

The five-year survival rate for leukaemia is 61%. For most children and many adults who achieve remission (where the signs and symptoms of their cancer are reduced), the disease may be cured with peripheral blood stem cell or bone marrow transplantation, and chemotherapy.

A clinical trial is a scientific study involving patient or non-patient (healthy) human volunteers. They help determine whether medicines are safe and effective to introduce as new treatments for a particular disease or condition. 

HealthMatch matches you to clinical trials, in an easy-to-understand process. 

After completing a medical questionnaire, our platform searches for and filters eligible trials for you. You’re able to view matches and apply for trials, on your trial dashboard. 

We’ll put you in direct contact with the trial group once you’ve been accepted. We won’t stop searching until we’ve found you the right match.