Latest news with #AcuteLymphoblasticLeukaemia
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First Post
18-07-2025
- Health
- First Post
War against cancer: A victory in progress as death rates tumble with new drugs, screening and prevention
The chances of getting affected by cancer increase as people age. Since the 1990s, the age-adjusted death rate related to cancer has fallen considerably read more The fight against cancer has been yielding results slowly and steadily. Data on cancer's manifestations and treatment has painted a positive picture. Could that mean that the world is inching closer to a cure? While an answer to that remains uncertain, other factors, like death rates and advanced medical treatment, suggest that things are looking better than they were a decade ago. Here's how: Falling death rates The chances of getting affected by cancer increase as people age. Since the 1990s, the age-adjusted death rate related to cancer has fallen considerably. For example, in the US, where cancer is the second-most common cause of death, the age-adjusted death rate is now a third lower than in the 1990s. This trend is not exclusive to America, but is mimicked by other developed countries as well. A 2024 report by the Nation on the Status of Cancer shows that overall death rates from cancer declined steadily among both men and women from 2001 through 2022, even during the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Childhood leukaemia survival rates go up The survival rate of childhood leukaemia has increased significantly in the past few years. Now, it has a five-year survival rate above 90 per cent. This has been made possible by advancements in treatment measures for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), which is the most common type that affects children. Better prevention One of the most overlooked success stories in the fight against cancer is prevention. For instance, smoking rates have dropped sharply in high-income countries, likely preventing over 3 million cancer deaths in the US alone since 1975. Yet smoking still accounts for one in five cancer deaths globally. This means that anti-tobacco efforts in low- and middle-income countries, where smoking remains widespread, have the potential to save millions more lives. Cheaper treatment Cancer treatment has gone easy on the pockets considerably. Curbing the spread of cervical cancer, the most common cancer among women, is a case in point. Cervical cancer is caused by the delayed side-effect of infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Now, the prevalence of the HPV vaccine and its administration to young girls across the world has brought down the chances of getting the bug at all. In the UK, for example, HPV vaccines have brought down the rates of cervical cancer among women in their 20s are down by 90 per cent.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Nagpur first in central India to Offer CAR T-Cell Therapy for Blood Cancer
Nagpur: In a major medical development for central India, CAR T-cell therapy — considered one of the most advanced cancer treatments in the world — was successfully performed at a private hospital in the city, bringing hope to patients battling resistant blood cancers like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). The complex immunotherapy was administered to two patients who relapsed despite undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy. The treatment involves re-engineering the patient's own immune cells to fight cancer, and its availability in a Tier-2 city like Nagpur marks a major leap in regional cancer care. Dr Kanchan Dubey, a 37-year-old physician diagnosed with ALL in 2023, was one of the first to receive the treatment. "As a medical professional, I knew the odds were against me. This therapy gave me not just hope but life again, as a doctor and as a mother," she said. Another patient, 25-year-old Praful Gawande from rural Vidarbha, also exhausted all conventional treatment options. "We stopped planning for the future. This treatment saved my life and restored my family's belief in miracles," he said emotionally. Doctors treating the patients emphasised the significance of this advancement. "CAR T-cell therapy is no longer a technology exclusive to metro cities or foreign hospitals. It is now a reality in Nagpur," said Dr Nishad Dhakate, consultant haematologist. His colleague, Dr Rajat Rajeev Bajaj, added, "This is not just a scientific breakthrough, but a reminder that access to such care must not be limited by geography. " The introduction of CAR T-cell therapy in Nagpur is expected to benefit patients from across Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, who were earlier forced to travel to metro cities for this treatment. Neeta Rajwar, chief operating officer of the hospital, said, "CAR T-cell therapy is one of the most advanced cancer treatments in the world, and our success in performing it in Nagpur ensures that such innovation is no longer restricted to metros or overseas institutions. We've made it accessible, effective, and life-changing right here in Nagpur."
Daily Record
30-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
'Doctors said my daughter had anxiety - but what she had was my worst nightmare'
Skye was later diagnosed with cancer. A mum has told how she suffered every parent's worst nightmare - as the pain in her daughter's side turned out to be cancer. Christina Harris took Skye to their GP when she complained of the sharp pain, which was accompanied by a fever and breathlessness that came out of nowhere. And the 46-year-old said that medics told her initially that her 10-year-old was actually suffering from anxiety. But Christina knew that it was unlike her 'bubbly and active' daughter and that there was more to it. But she was not prepared for what was about to come after acting on her mother's instinct and taking her to A&E a few days later. Christina, of Essex, told The Mirror: "Sometimes you just have to go with your instincts when you know something is wrong". Determined to know what was causing her daughter to be in pain, doctors then did several scans, including an X-ray and noticed shadowing on Skye's ribcage. "They initially thought it may be an infection or something and gave her some antibiotics to clear it up," Christina recalled. "I hoped this was the case, and we went home with antibiotics." But after a few days, and still unsure, Christina rushed her daughter back to A&E after Skye had another temperature in the middle of the night. She knew deep down her daughter wasn't getting any better. "You just go into a pilot mode, I was blocking out any type of negative thoughts I was having, and just wanted what was best for my daughter." During this visit, doctors then found Skye's lungs full of mucus. She was diagnosed with pneumonia, which was the reason for her excruciating pain. And after further investigation and more blood tests, it turned out to be something much worse. On December 7, 2021, the keen dancer was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a rare type of blood cancer and was blue-lighted to Great Ormond Street Hospital to begin her chemotherapy treatment. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. She said: "I knew something wasn't right, she kept complaining of this pain, even in her sleep, it wasn't normal". But after a few days, and still unsure, Christina rushed her daughter back to A&E after Skye had another temperature in the middle of the night, and she knew deep down her daughter wasn't getting any better. The Mirror reports she said: "It was scary when they told me she had pneumonia. Obviously I did not anticipate what was to come. It's every parent's worst nightmare." Christina, a mother of two, sadly lost her job as an estate agent because she needed to support her daughter and became a full-time carer. Her son Marley, 13 at the time, was able to spend time at his dad's house more frequently as Christina cared for Skye. She said: "You just know deep down when something isn't right, but I never thought it would be that Skye had leukaemia, you just have to go with your instincts in these moments and I am so glad I did. "When we got the news, I just went into flight mode and I couldn't think of anything other than the fact my daughter had cancer. I cried so much when we got to Great Ormond Street, but in a strange way, I finally felt safe. I was just so pleased that they had found out what was wrong." Skye then spent 11 days in Great Ormond Street, where she began her chemotherapy treatment. "We were at Great Ormond Street multiple times a week, as well as appointments at our local hospital too. She was having such aggressive chemotherapy which went on for six months. I had to also make sure I was keeping an eye on her temperature, as if it went to 38 degrees I'd need to rush her to hospital. I knew when she wasn't right." Skye was put on strong antibiotics every time she had a high fever due to her weakened immune system and was having chemotherapy given in multiple ways, including into her thigh, as well as into her spine. She added: "This type of leukaemia is one of the longest cancer treatments for children and it made Skye really poorly." Skye finished her treatment after a year, and then moved on to maintenance chemotherapy, designed to help keep cancer from coming back after it has disappeared following the initial therapy. While she felt extremely unwell during her treatment, Skye said she enjoyed going to Great Ormond Street as she had become friends with all of the doctors and nurses. She was also treated to takeaways and feasted on food when she felt up to it. Skye said: "I wasn't at school and I wasn't making any friends so it was hard, but I got to know all of the nurses and they were really nice to me. It wasn't a nice experience but I managed to find some joys in between. "My mum let me have any kind of food I wanted so we would always get a Nando's or a Pizza Express. This type of leukaemia is one of the longest cancer treatments for children and it made Skye really poorly." Skye finished her treatment after a year, and then moved on to maintenance chemotherapy, designed to help keep cancer from coming back after it has disappeared initially. Recalling the time spent in hospital, Chrisina said it was "horrendous" and detailed: "It was really hard. You never want this for anyone, let alone your own children and it was really difficult. I think you just sort of switch off from everything else and just go into this type of pilot mode. "You have to give her everything she needs and I got to a point where I had this diary where I'd tick off hour by hour which medication I was giving her. She needed certain medications at exact times so it was a lot to do - I was basically a nurse looking after her. I was trying to just block out any negative thoughts and just focus on giving her what she needed. "The first nine months, when she was having the most intensive part of the treatment, we couldn't leave the house and the only people that could come in were the nurses. My parents live in Denmark so I was doing it all alone, and my son Marley had to get dropped at his dad's a lot of the time, especially when Skye needed to be rushed into hospital quickly." Skye was finally able to ring the bell on March 30 last year and has been in remission since. She also celebrated with an end of treatment party, something she had been looking forward to for the past three years." Now 13, Skye is doing really well and says she wants to be a nutritionist at GOSH. She said: "I really want to be a nutritionist, my time in treatment has really inspired me to help others like the way the doctors and nurses have helped me. GOSH Charity is currently raising £300m to build a new Children's Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street, which will help thousands of children like Skye. Skye and her mum Christina say the new centre will be "amazing" for patients like her.
Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'GP said my girl had anxiety - real diagnosis is every parent's worst nightmare'
When she took her 'bubbly and active' daughter to the doctor with a pain in her side, mum-of-two Christina Harris knew there was something seriously wrong - but it took multiple trips to get to the bottom of her illness After complaining about having a sharp pain in her side as well as a fever and breathlessness that came out of nowhere, Christina Harris did what any parent would do and took her daughter to the GP. However she was not prepared for what was about to come. Doctors told her that her Skye, 10, was suffering from anxiety, but Christina, 46, from Essex, knew that it was unlike her 'bubbly and active' daughter and that there was more to it. Acting on her mother's instinct, Christina saw that Skye was still in pain, while the fever continued, so she took her to A&E a few days later. "Sometimes you just have to go with your instincts when you know something is wrong," Christina told The Mirror. Determined to know what was causing her daughter to be in pain, doctors then did several scans, including an X-ray and noticed shadowing on Skye's ribcage. "They initially thought it may be an infection or something and gave her some antibiotics to clear it up," Christina recalled. "I hoped this was the case, and we went home with antibiotics." But after a few days, and still unsure, Christina rushed her daughter back to A&E after Skye had another temperature in the middle of the night, and she knew deep down her daughter wasn't getting any better. "You just go into a pilot mode, I was blocking out any type of negative thoughts I was having, and just wanted what was best for my daughter." During this visit, doctors then found Skye's lungs full of mucus. She was diagnosed with pneumonia, which was the reason for her excruciating pain, and after further investigation and more blood tests, it turned out to be something much worse. On December 7, 2021, the keen dancer was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a rare type of blood cancer and was blue-lighted to Great Ormond Street Hospital to begin her chemotherapy treatment. "I knew something wasn't right, she kept complaining of this pain, even in her sleep, it wasn't normal," the worried mum reflected. "It was scary when they told me she had pneumonia. Obviously I did not anticipate what was to come. It's every parent's worst nightmare." Christina, a mother of two, sadly lost her job as an estate agent because she needed to support her daughter and became a full-time carer. Her son Marley, 13 at the time, was able to spend time at his dad's house more frequently as Christina cared for Skye. "You just know deep down when something isn't right, but I never thought it would be that Skye had leukaemia, you just have to go with your instincts in these moments and I am so glad I did. When we got the news, I just went into flight mode and I couldn't think of anything other than the fact my daughter had cancer. READ MORE: 'Entitled mum approached me in restaurant with demanding request for her son' "I cried so much when we got to Great Ormond Street, but in a strange way, I finally felt safe. I was just so pleased that they had found out what was wrong." Skye then spent 11 days in Great Ormond Street, where she began her chemotherapy treatment. "We were at Great Ormond Street multiple times a week, as well as appointments at our local hospital too. She was having such aggressive chemotherapy which went on for six months. "I had to also make sure I was keeping an eye on her temperature, as if it went to 38 degrees I'd need to rush her to hospital. I knew when she wasn't right." Skye was put on strong antibiotics every time she had a high fever due to her weakened immune system and was having chemotherapy given in multiple ways, including into her thigh, as well as into her spine. "This type of leukaemia is one of the longest cancer treatments for children and it made Skye really poorly." Skye finished her treatment after a year, and then moved on to maintenance chemotherapy, designed to help keep cancer from coming back after it has disappeared following the initial therapy. While she felt extremely unwell during her treatment, Skye said she enjoyed going to Great Ormond Street as she had become friends with all of the doctors and nurses. She was also treated to takeaways and feasted on food when she felt up to it. Skye said: "I wasn't at school and I wasn't making any friends so it was hard, but I got to know all of the nurses and they were really nice to me. It wasn't a nice experience but I managed to find some joys in between and my mum let me have any kind of food I wanted so we would always get a Nando's or a Pizza Express." Recalling the time spent in hospital, Chrisina said it was "horrendous" and detailed: "It was really hard. You never want this for anyone, let alone your own children and it was really difficult. "I think you just sort of switch off from everything else and just go into this type of pilot mode. You have to give her everything she needs and I got to a point where I had this diary where I'd tick off hour by hour which medication I was giving her. "She needed certain medications at exact times so it was a lot to do - I was basically a nurse looking after her. I was trying to just block out any negative thoughts and just focus on giving her what she needed. "The first nine months, when she was having the most intensive part of the treatment, we couldn't leave the house and the only people that could come in were the nurses. "My parents live in Denmark so I was doing it all alone, and my son Marley had to get dropped at his dad's a lot of the time, especially when Skye needed to be rushed into hospital quickly - even in the middle of the night." Skye was finally able to ring the bell on March 30 last year and has been in remission since. She also celebrated with an end of treatment party, something she had been looking forward to for the past three years. Now 13, Skye is doing really well and says she wants to be a nutritionist at GOSH. She said: "I really want to be a nutritionist, my time in treatment has really inspired me to help others like the way the doctors and nurses have helped me. GOSH Charity is currently raising £300m to build a new Children's Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street, which will help thousands of children like Skye. Skye and her mum Christina say the new centre will be "amazing" for patients like her.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Rise in blood cancer cases among children in central India a cause for concern: Docs
Nagpur: Doctors of the city have raised concerns about the rising number of children being diagnosed with a type of blood cancer in central India. The alert comes on World Blood Cancer Day which is observed on May 28. According to data from Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur, more and more children are being treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), the most common type of blood cancer found in kids. ALL is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It affects white blood cells which normally help fight infections. In ALL, these cells grow uncontrollably and crowd out healthy blood cells. Over the past four years, GMCH Nagpur has witnessed a significant increase in the number of patients with blood cancer. In 2021–22, 22 children were diagnosed with ALL, and by 2024–25, that number jumped to 35. Doctors say that in 2022–23 alone, the number of new patients went up by 82%, which is a big leap in just one year. This trend shows that more children are falling sick with this type of cancer and also that more are getting diagnosed and treated in time. "This is a serious issue. The number of children with ALL is rising rapidly in Nagpur," said Dr Riya Ballikar, a blood cancer specialist. "We're not exactly sure why, but the possible reasons include pollution, pesticides, infections at a young age, and maybe even family history. But what worries us the most is the diagnosis which is often late," she said, adding, the number at GMCH Nagpur is just a part of the total cases in Vidarbha. She claimed that the real figure in the community is way more. Dr Ketan Modak, a blood cancer expert from AIIMS Nagpur, stated that Nagpur now offers numerous modern treatments that help treat blood cancer more effectively. Monoclonal antibodies are specially designed laboratory-made proteins that target cancer cells and help the immune system destroy them. Targeted therapy means drugs that attack only the cancer cells without harming the healthy ones. However, Dr Modak warned that many children still don't have access to such care as many advancements are yet to reach Nagpur. The expert stressed the need for more awareness campaigns, better screening at local health centres, and affordable treatment options. Snapshot of Blood Cancer Cases in GMCH Nagpur Year — Cases — ALL Kids — Under Treatment '21–22 — 54 — 22 — 6 '22–23 — 84 — 30 — 18 '23–24 — 72 — 32 — 9 '24–25 — 75 — 35 — 20
