Scientists develop gene test to tell if blood cancer drugs will work trends now
Scientists have developed a test to identify which blood-cancer patients will benefit the most from a drug that can stop their cancer from returning. The test, which looks for genetic clues in cancer cells, can identify the ten per cent of patients who see little effect from life-saving lenalidomide.
This could spare them needless side effects such as exhaustion, infections and a higher risk of other cancers, although experts need more data before they know if it is safe to stop using the drug.
But it also helps to spot patients who may need other medicines alongside lenalidomide, and gives peace of mind to those most likely to benefit.
The test is so helpful that experts are calling for it to be used to guide treatment for the 6,000 Britons diagnosed with myeloma – a type of blood cancer – each year.
Many myeloma patients take lenalidomide for up to a decade to try to keep their disease under control.
Scientists have developed a test to identify which blood-cancer patients will benefit the most from a drug that can stop their cancer from returning (stock photo)
'For most, the drug is well tolerated, but some suffer side effects like feeling tired or being prone to infections,' says Dr Martin Kaiser, consultant haematologist and clinical scientist at London's Institute of Cancer Research.
'Some take it for up to a decade. A common question they ask is 'Do I really have to keep taking this drug?' and 'How much is it actually helping me?' '
Some studies have shown that taking the drug for a long time may be associated with an increased risk of some cancers, including Hodgkin lymphoma. Myeloma affects a type of blood cell called plasma cells that help fight infection and are made in the bone marrow – the spongy tissue in the centre of the bones.
It causes plasma cells to over-multiply, producing a build-up of faulty cells in the bone marrow, which can damage the bones.
This also disrupts the production of other blood cells, stopping the body from effectively fighting infections. The disease is sometimes called multiple
