Hope is on the way.

[RK66]

This morning's news should give us all cause to smile and to keep hope alive.

mirror.co.uk/news/technolog...

However, does T cell immunotherapy work on B cell leukemia? This question is above my pay grade. Still, this breakthrough gives me hope.

[AussieNeil Administrator]

T cell immunotherapy was FIRST PROVEN to work on CLL patients. Read: healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo....

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

This is broadly called CARs, chimeric antigen receptors, and in CLL they target cell surface protein CD19.

It is still highly experimental, extraordinarily expensive and doesn't work for everyone with CLL, and there have been a number of treatment deaths. Also CLL patients must be on monthly IVIG therapy for life.

The hope is that someday it may replace stem cell transplant, but there are still hurdles to be crossed...

Certainly there is great hope and potential in this treatment, especially if they can get an off the shelf T cell, which it looks like they have done recently...

It may be a life extender 3rd or 4th line CLL treatment one day... there are atleast a dozen companies working on various versions of this, Novartis is in the lead at the monent...

To learn more

cancer.gov/about-cancer/tre...

Lots of reference here

lymphomation.org/programing...

~chris

[Newdawn Administrator]

A CLL friend told me today that she's had calls saying they're so delighted a cure has been found for her leukaemia.

Anyone else experienced this? As always, these 'cures' give unrealistic expectations because whilst they're immensely hopeful, it doesn't mean we are all immediately in line for it! (Sadly).

Newdawn

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

I had 18 emails today from people asking me if this was true... Facebook is inundated with posts about this... 'its a cure!!!'

This story is 5 years old... and CARs still has a long way to go in CLL... childhood leukemia is another matter...

Must be a slow news day...

~chris

[RK66]

The morning news presented this story as "a major breakthrough in cancer". There was a recent television documentary on Cancer that highlighted immunotherapy but, as you point out, it does present significant risk and patients do die. It's just when they start quoting statistics like "94%" of patients go into remission one can't help but take notice and have hope. No where did I read that it was "a cure". Rather, it may provide precious time for those who have run out of it.

It's interesting to me how those around us are quick to dismiss the seriousness of CLL because they know someone who has had it for a long time or have heard it's the "good cancer". There is no such thing as a "good cancer". It can be more accurately described as non-aggressive or aggressive.