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Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients who are refractory or resistant to treatment can be encouraged by data showing significantly longer survival without disease progression with a treatment combining venetoclax and rituximab compared to treatment with bendamustine plus rituximab.
The long term follow on study from the MURANO trial demonstrated that more patients receiving venetoclax remained disease free three years after stopping treatment of rituximab combined with venetoclax.
Professor John Seymour, Director of Haematology at Peter Mac, noted to his knowledge the results seen for survival without disease progression were better than any other cancer immunotherapy treatment in a relapsed refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia population.
The findings from the follow on MURANO trial were recently published in the scientific journal Blood.
At five years the overall survival for patients receiving venetoclax was 82 per cent compared to 62 per cent in those receiving bendamustine.
The MURANO trial reported in September 2020. Refractory or relapsed CLL patients received two years of treatment combining rituximab with either venetoclax or bendamustine.
The venetoclax rituximab combination allowed patients to receive a chemotherapy free cancer treatment that was effective in eliminating detectable cancer more often.
In the follow-up trial it was determined that the benefits of venetoclax were sustained over a long period of time with encouraging outcomes for CLL patients.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is a slow growing leukaemia that affects B-cells, a white blood cell that plays a role in your immune response.
Around 1,000 Australians are diagnosed every year with CLL and while somewhat rare, it is the most common form of leukaemia in Australia.
The MURANO trial, and the follow-up study, was led by Professor John Seymour at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and involved clinical sites around the world to recruit over 300 patients.
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Peter Mac's Associate Professor Jane Oliaro and Professor Ricky Johnstone have been awarded funding for two different blood cancer research projects.
Associate Professor Oliaro will use a three year grant to make CAR T-cell treatment more effective for two blood cancers.
The grant is being supported by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Snowdome Foundation and Leukaemia Foundation.
CAR T-cell treatment is a cellular therapy that uses genetically engineered T-cells (part of your immune response) to recognise and kill cancer.
"The treatment is very effective for a few blood cancers but unfortunately some people do not respond to the treatment, or respond initially only to relapse later," said Associate Professor Oliaro, Group Leader for the Centre of Cancer Immunotherapy, and Chief Scientist for the Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy at Peter Mac.
"I will focus on improving CAR T-cell effectiveness by incorporating it with a small molecule drug that can directly kill the cancer cells and potentially boost the anti-cancer activity of the CAR T-cells."
Professor Oliaro and her team will leverage their expertise in basic and preclinical research to investigate the potential of this combination therapy to dramatically improve CAR T-cell therapy outcomes for people with lymphoma and myeloma.
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer where plasma cells crowd out the bone marrow. As the second most common form of blood cancer new ways of managing myeloma are desperately needed.
Professor Johnstone, Executive Director of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre will collaborate with two US institutions, Dana Faber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, to explore new ways to conquer multiple myeloma.
The three collaborating labs uncovered that myeloma cells depend on two proteins known as P300 and CBP to survive.
Through a range of independent experiments the groups concluded that myeloma cells could not function effectively if these two proteins were interfered with.
Professor Johnstone said: "The three year research grant provided by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will be invaluable in helping us understand more about these two proteins.
"We will use this knowledge to help identify new treatment options to effectively manage multiple myeloma."
Both research grants provide substantial funding over three years, enabling the researchers to focus and engage on these two important projects to hopefully provide better treatment options for blood cancer patients in the future.
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For NAIDOC Week 2022, join us on this immersive virtual tour of Peter Mac's Aboriginal art collection.
The varied paintings in our collection illustrate some of the multiple strands, diversity and evolving nature of Aboriginal art which has extended well beyond the classical traditions of Desert Art, as the most familiar dot and circle style has come to be known. They are exhibited throughout Peter Mac's main campus in Parkville and our sattelite sites around Victoria.
Styles, symbols, materials and use of colour utilised in the creation of art in different regions spread across Australia varies from artist to artist, region and community, from the Kimberley, to the Central and Western Desert, the Top End and Arnhem Land or Cape York.
Each has a vibrant artistic life and output with strong links to the land and traditional ceremony and practices.
Enter the exhibition below.
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First-time comedians drawn from Peter Mac’s community of patients, carers and staff have taken centre-stage for a one-night-only comedy show and wellbeing initiative.
“Stand Up for Cancer” - held at Peter Mac on 7 July - was about building confidence and learning new ways to communicate and share, and an opportunity for fun and some laughs.
Melanoma survivor and comedy newbie Peter Gourlay said the show was “extraordinary and had a powerful impact on so many - us performers but importantly the audience!”.
“I was truly moved by the power of everyone's stories. And such great laughs.”
Participants developed their stand-up routines on the day, attending a workshop with Australian comedian Rachel Berger.
Hours later they bravely stepped up to the microphone before a full-house (masked and spaced) audience at Peter Mac.
Nurse Elaine Sia started the day convinced “there is not a chance in the world that anybody will laugh at any of my jokes”.
“Little did I know that nine hours later I would be up in front of an audience, doing stand-up with confidence that I never knew I had,” she said.
“Hearing everyone’s stories also provided me the chance to walk a mile in their shoes.
"I left the auditorium with newfound confidence, compassion and the will to be a better nurse and colleague.”
Participants said Rachel’s support was outstanding – a mix of instruction and encouragement to “be ourselves and people will truly appreciate us for who we are”.
“What an incredible group of humans I was privileged to work with!” Rachel also said after the show.
“They were all fearlessly honest and face-achingly funny.”
Funds raised from this ticketed event will support Peter Mac’s Wellbeing Centre – which is a supportive, patient-led program where patients and carers can access services such as oncology massage, art therapy, meditation and system navigation, as well as information, and emotional and physical support.
Contacts:
For more information contact the Peter Mac Communications team on 0417 123 048.
About Peter Mac:
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is a world-leading cancer research, education and treatment centre and Australia’s only public health service solely dedicated to caring for people affected by cancer.
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People with a rare type of blood cancer often experience fatigue that is debilitating, distressing and profoundly affects their lives, new Peter Mac-led research has revealed.
Myeloproliferative neoplasms, or MPNs for short, are cancers that begin in the bone marrow and change the thickness of your blood.
Around 650 Australians are diagnosed with an MPN each year, making them a relatively rare form of blood cancer.
Fatigue is often reported as the most common symptom people with an MPN experience, yet very little was known about how it affects their lives.
"The aim of this research was to delve deeper into the impact fatigue is having on the everyday lives of people diagnosed with MPNs," said Ashleigh Bradford, the lead author on the study that was published in Cancer Reports last month.
"We hope this will lead to greater understanding for those people experiencing this symptom and for the health professionals who treat them."
Qualitative data from the research revealed how fatigue significantly affects people's ability to carry out the normal daily life tasks, including catching up with friends and family, and contributing to their community.
"For example, participants spoke about how they only had enough energy to do one thing each day such as a medical appointment, leaving them feeling isolated and debilitated," Ms Bradford said.
For co-author Ken Young, who both lives with an MPN and is a founding member of patient-led advocacy group MPN Alliance Australia, this qualitative study is important for the voice it's given to patient experience.
"The opportunity for patients to share their lived experiences is an inclusive step for many to address the alienation that fatigue causes," Mr Young said.
It will also help the health professionals treating people with MPNs, said study senior author Dr Elizabeth Pearson.
"Our research participants commonly told us they felt their fatigue significantly restricted their capacity to do things, but it was largely ignored by their health professionals," Dr Pearson said.
"Describing participants' experiences in a cancer journal can help them, and the wider MPN community they represent, to feel they are not alone and their experience is valid.
"Secondly, it gives health professionals a better understanding of fatigue in MPNs, and suggests how they can support their patients."
Image credit: Zoë Gayah Jonker
Contact
For more information or to arrange an interview, call the Communications team on 0417 123 048.
About Peter Mac
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is a world-leading cancer research, education and treatment centre and Australia’s only public health service solely dedicated to caring for people affected by cancer.