What an exciting day it was yesterday for Dr Chan Cheah and his patient Robert, who is the very first patient on Dr Cheah’s own clinical trial LEVERAGE.

Dr Cheah has spent a few years designing the clinical trial, which will help treat patients with follicular lymphoma who are yet to receive any treatment for their blood cancer (treatment-naive).

The trial opened in Sept 2019 and is currently recruiting patients. Please visit: www.bloodcancerwa.org.au/trials for further information

#clinicaltrial #LEVERAGE #bloodcancer #follicularlymphoma #BCRWA

An exciting new trial is open at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for patients with treatment-naïve Follicular Lymphoma: “LEVERAGE”

Follicular lymphoma is a common type of lymphoma, with thousands of West Australians each year living with the disease.

Associate Professor Chan Cheah, Consultant Haematologist in WA, has designed a new Clinical Trial which will see the evaluation of a novel combination of three drugs, in place of chemotherapy (the existing standard treatment).

This combination of treatments is designed to harness the immune system to target cancer cells, as well as priming them for self-destruction. The treatment is expected to be highly effective based and fewer side effects (such as hair loss, nerve damage and infections) compared with standard treatment, chemotherapy.

Visit our website for further information & contact details for the trial: www.bloodcancerwa.org.au

The Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group are the Sponsors of a new trial for Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) positive lymphoma patients, which will be recruiting at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital:

Trebl-1 (NHL31)

Lymphomas that are associated with viruses can be difficult to treat. Until now there are no treatments available that specifically target EBV.

The new treatment is a combination of ibrutinib, rituximab, valaciclovir, and 3rd Party EBV-specific T cells (a type of white blood cell).

It is hoped this research will demonstrate that the infusions, in combination with ibrutinib, will be a safe and effective therapy for EBV positive lymphoma patients.

Visit: https://www.bloodcancerwa.org.au/trial/trebl-1-nhl31/ for further information

“Phase 1 study of selective BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib in B-cell malignancies and safety and efficacy evaluation in CLL”

Has just been published! Dr Gavin Cull,  clinical and laboratory haematologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH)  is the Principal Investigator of the Clinical Trial at SCGH, and also a co-author of the Publication, which uses Zanubrutinib.

Dr Cull (below) provided BCRWA with a quote about this exciting study:

“This trial shows that zanubrutinib, a tablet taken twice daily, is very active in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. The response rates were very high and the CLL came under good control in nearly all the patients. The good news for patients is that zanubrutinib was well tolerated with very few having to stop the tablets due to side-effects. While longer follow-up is needed, most patients remain on zanubrutinib with their CLL under very good control”

The publication can be found here:
http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/early/2019/07/24/blood.2019001160?sso-checked=true 

COO and MYC/BCL2 status do not predict outcome among patients with stage I/II DLBCL: a retrospective multicenter study

By Dr Allison Barraclough, who trained and worked in WA before recently relocating to Melbourne, and several collaborating co-authors (including four from Western Australia), which looked into gene-expression profiling and prognosis for patients with stage I/II Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL).

211 patients were identified for this retrospective study across Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Hollywood Private Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, British Columbia Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, Aalborg University Hospital, and Nottingham University Hospital.

Key points of note:

• In early-stage DLBCL, COO and DE/DH [gene expression] status may not confer an inferior prognosis.
• Stage I/II DLBCL has an excellent outcome when treated with R-CHOP–like therapy ± radiation, with 4-year Progression Free Survival and Overall Survival rates of 85% and 88%.

The full article can be viewed here: http://www.bloodadvances.org/content/3/13/2013?sso-checked=true 

In collaboration with Lymphoma Australia, Associate Professor Chan Cheah explains how to access Clinical Trials in WA

Blood Cancer Research WA have an alliance with three Health Sites: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, LINEAR & Hollywood Private Hospital. Across these Sites there is a portfolio of clinical trials. Information and contact details for each trial can be found at: https://www.bloodcancerwa.org.au/trials/ 

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Fact Sheet

By Lymphoma Australia

“Lymphoma is the 5th most common cancer in Australia and the most common blood cancer.
There are two main categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin Lymphoma and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (of which and there are over 60 different subtypes). Lymphoma is a cancer of the white blood cells called lymphocytes. When lymphocytes gain DNA mutations they divide and grow uncontrollably, resulting in lymphoma. Lymphoma cells are often found in lymph nodes, the spleen, the bone marrow or blood, but can affect almost any organ or tissue…/..

HL is an aggressive (or fast growing) lymphoma. Usually the first sign of HL is a painless, rapidly growing lump in the neck, arm pit or groin. The swelling may be painful if the lymph node is pressing on a sensitive area (nerve or blood vessel). Other common symptoms may include sweats, fever, unexplained weight loss, generalised all over body itch and people may also notice fatigue, loss of appetite, shortness of breath or pain”.

“Clinical trials are essential in identifying effective medicines and determining optimal doses of these medicines for people diagnosed with lymphoma”.

The above abstracts are from our Sponsor: Lymphoma Australia
Please visit their website to access easy-to-read fact sheets developed by people with Lymphoma, their carer’s, families & friends:
https://engonetlymaus.blob.core.windows.net/assets/uploads/files/Fact%20Sheets/LYA084_HL_FactSheet_FA(web).pdf

CPI-818-001 is a first-in-human study for patients with relapsed or refractory
T-Cell Lymphoma

Principal Investigator of this study, and Clinical Haematology Consultant, Dr Dejan Radeski (below), provides us with an overview of this exciting trial:

“T-cells are very important members of the immune system and their three main roles are to help other parts of the immune system to do their job, to directly kill infections/cancers in the body and also to regulate the immune system so as to not attack itself. Sadly, T-cells can be develop cancer themselves and they can be difficult to treat. CPI-818 is a new tablet treatment which targets the internal machinery of the cancerous T-cell. In Western Australia the first patients in the world are being treated with this medicine and people who are eligible for this clinical trial are those with T-cell lymphoma which has persisted or come back after two different combinations of chemotherapy”.

For further information on this study, and for contact details for the Trial Coordinators at LINEAR,  please visit our website: https://www.bloodcancerwa.org.au/trial/cpi-818-001/

Lymphoma Australia  is a proud supporter of the WA Lymphoma Centre of Research Excellence and Blood Cancer Research WA

Lymphoma Australia is the only incorporated charity dedicated to solely providing education, support, awareness and advocacy initiatives for Australians touched by lymphoma
Their history:

‘An advertisement was placed in the Gold Coast Bulletin in 2003 inviting lymphoma patients to attend an informal meeting in a park at Southport. These patients became the founding group and set up The Lymphoma Support & Research Association (LSRA) and is now known as Lymphoma Australia’.

Their message: “We will never let anyone face lymphoma/CLL alone”

‘Each day 17 Australian’s receive a Lymphoma diagnosis and if you or a loved one has been touched by Lymphoma you can call the National Lymphoma Nurse Support Line, join our closed Facebook group – Lymphoma Down Under, sign up for our e-news or request our free resources to ensure you have the information you need’.

If you, or a loved one, has been affected by a Lymphoma diagnosis, visit https://www.lymphoma.org.au/ to access vital resources and support

Information provided by https://www.lymphoma.org.au/

Blood Cancer Research WA is a not-for-profit foundation, seeking to create a WA Lymphoma Centre of Excellence (WALCRE) here in WA and run Research Trials for ALL blood cancer diseases.

We run solely on DONATIONS and fundraising

Donations enable us to have staff to support WALCRE, run Clinical Research Trials for patients suffering from ALL blood cancer, and clinically treat and manage our patients receiving treatment.

The money received in donations to date will be used to fund:
· Clinical staff members to treat & care for our patients; Haematology Doctors and Specialist Nurse
· Specific research projects in blood cancer, initiated by our own WA Haematologist’s
· Corporate Administrator/Assistant; To run operational business for the foundation

It is VITAL to keep donations coming in.

Clinical Trials give patients the best option to receive potentially life-saving treatment, which is not yet available through standard hospital treatment.
Research also provides advancements in safer, more targeted, and less harmful cancer treatment.

EVERY donation helps and all donations made through our supporter, Snowdome, is tax deductible!
Please visit BloodCancerResearch to DONATE NOW
(Select ‘WA Lymphoma Centre of Excellence’ in the Type of Donation box)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THE CONTINUED FIGHT AGAINST BLOOD CANCER!