Genetic Factors Can Increase Leukaemia Risk Seven-Fold

Scientists have found four new regions of the genome that increase the risk of a common blood cancer, according to results published in the journal Nature Genetics.

Professor Richard Houlston and his team at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) have now found the location of 10 genetic variants, common in the European population, that are associated with an increased risk of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).

Professor Houlston’s team last year proved that people’s genes could make them more susceptible to CLL, identifying six regions of the genome more common among sufferers. In the latest paper, also funded by the charity Leukaemia Research, his team have identified another four regions that influence an individual’s risk of CLL.

CLL is the most common form of leukemiain western countries, with around 2,700 people in the UK diagnosed each year with the disease, most after age 55.

The genetic factors identified in the latest study are all common in the population, and each increases the risk of CLL by between 1.2 and 1.4-fold. Each person may carry from a few of the identified risk factors to all the risk factors. Importantly, the more genetic factors carried, the higher their risk of developing CLL. Read more

High-sensitivity Bone Marrow Aspiration Technology Enhances Leukemia Cell Detection

Scientists have created a viable technology to improve the detection of leukemia cells in bone marrow.

Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) enhanced the ability to rapidly quantify the amount of nanoparticle bound tumor cells in a sample at least 10 fold, and increased sensitivity of minimal residual disease measurements. Results of this proof-of-concept study are published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“This promises to significantly enhance the detection for residual disease in leukemia and other cancers,” said lead scientist Richard S. Larson, M.D., Ph.D., vice president for translation research at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center. “Coupling nanotechnology can be employed in common techniques to enhance its utility.” Read more

Lymphoma Patients Benefit From Exercise

A healthy dose of exercise is good medicine, even for lymphoma patients receiving chemotherapy, University of Alberta researchers have found.

The Healthy Exercise for Lymphoma Patients (HELP) trial, a three-year study led by Kerry Courneya, Canada Research Chair in physical activity and cancer in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, found that a regimen of aerobic exercise training produced significant improvements in physical functioning and overall quality of life benefits in patients with lymphoma.

Researchers recruited 122 patients with Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, then stratified participants by disease type and treatment status; whether they were undergoing chemotherapy at the time or receiving no treatments. Participants were randomly assigned to an exercise program designed to maximize cardiovascular fitness or to usual care, which did not include an exercise component. Read more

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