The majority of patients whom we help are suffering from leukaemia in one of its various forms.
Leukaemia is a disease which affects the body’s blood cells. Diseased cells replicate rapidly, at the expense of the blood’s normal components – red cells, white cells and platelets.
Over 20,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with leukaemia each year. Not all of them will require a transplant, but for those who do, finding a compatible donor becomes critical. The incidence of leukaemia increases with age, but transplants are generally only performed on people under 60.
The terms ‘acute’ and ‘chronic’ identify whether the disease will develop rapidly or slowly. A patient with an acute leukaemia faces a disease which progresses over a period of weeks or months : a chronic condition may develop over several years. In either case, immediate treatment is desirable - typically a combination of chemotherapy and blood transfusions.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) accounts for 85% of the leukaemias in children, although it can occur at any age. About 650 new cases are diagnosed annually in Britain. Without treatment the disease may cause death within a few weeks or months. However, over 90% of patients respond to chemotherapy.
Up to 70% of children and between 30 - 50% of young adults can look forward to being cured by this treatment and remain in remission. However, if patients relapse, or are considered at high risk (patients who are older or have a high leukaemic cell count when diagnosed), the doctor may recommend a transplant.
Around 2,000 new cases of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) are diagnosed in the UK each year and largely affects middle aged or older people. A patient’s blood and marrow can frequently be restored to normal by chemotherapy, enabling them to secure a complete remission for many years. Certain types of AML are more resistant to drug treatment and within this sub-group, with a compatible donor, a transplant offers an opportunity for a permanent cure.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is the rarest form of leukaemia. It’s more common in the older population and chemotherapy can be used to control it. However, if chemotherapy does not work a bone marrow transplant offers a potential cure.
Chronic lymphoblastic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common form of leukaemia - but transplant is not recommended as a treatment.
Go to Top
