From Student to AML Patient in Days, Maddie’s Story Shows Why Trials Matter
After relapsing with leukaemia, Maddie aged 24, was out of options—except for one. A clinical trial gave her hope.
What is Leukaemia?
About Leukaemia, the different types, and more information
What is Leukaemia?
Leukaemia is a form of blood cancer, and it can effect anyone, at any age.
Anyone can develop leukaemia at any age. Although it is more common in adults, leukaemia is the most common form of childhood cancer, with most children diagnosed under the age of 5.
There are 4 main different types of Leukaemia:
What are the symptoms of Leukaemia?
Symptoms can include:
- Anaemia – This can cause tiredness, breathlessness and other symptoms. You may also begin to look pale.
- Blood Clotting Problems – This can cause easy bruising, bleeding from the gums and other bleeding-related problems.
- Serious infections
- Weight loss
If you find that you’re suffering with any of these symptoms we would advise that you visit your GP to investigate the cause. However, these symptoms are common to many other illnesses so it is highly unlikely that acute leukaemia is the cause.
Dr Paul Ferguson, Clinical Lecturer in Haematology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, describes what Leukaemia is.
How does Cure Leukaemia help?
Cure Leukaemia helps to fund the Trial Acceleration Programme (TAP) across the UK, that connects leukaemia patients to potentially lifesaving trial treatments.
The money we kindly receive through donations and the support of the community helps to fund the research nurses.
At Cure Leukaemia, we believe there is a moral duty to test new drugs quickly and, if effective, make them available to patients across the region, the UK and the world.
We have spent the last decade developing a tried and tested formula for delivering clinical trials that works.
A specialist nurse costs £50,000 per year to fund, and by funding more nurses we can potentially save more lives.
Want to get involved and help fund a nurse?
Our Cure Leukaemia funded nurses play a vital role in helping to treat patients, and each specialist nurse costs £40,000 a year to fund.
Patient Stories
Sara’s ALL Diary – Part 4
Diary of Sara, an Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) Patient.
Raising Awareness on World Blood Cancer Day
On World Blood Cancer Day, we stand in solidarity with patients, families, researchers, and healthcare professionals who are fighting to change that.
Rob’s Experience in a CAR-T Trial
After living cancer-free for 15 years, Rob faced two devastating relapses of stage 4 lymphoma. The thought of enduring another six months of chemotherapy was overwhelming — until he was offered a place on the ZUMA-22 clinical trial, exploring the use of CAR-T cell therapy for relapsed lymphoma patients.