New drug and blood markers to benefit leukaemia patients?

Researchers have uncovered a new avenue for the treatment of chronic leukaemia - a condition affecting many using home care.

Markers identified in the blood could identify which patients would reap the most benefit from treatment with the new drug, according to research published in journal Blood.

The drug, called Navitoclax, has been seen to be effective for some patients, and the new markers can detect which patients will best respond.

Researcher Alex Almasan said: "Follow-up studies on patients that have been treated with Navitoclax, particularly those that are poor responders, could determine whether the Bcl-2 family genes examined in this study may also be important for development of resistance to this agent."

While chemotherapy is effective at controlling chronic lymphocytic leukaemia for many years, the disease always relapses.

Find the nearest Barchester care home