York blood cancer research project given £3 million boost
Posted on 2 February 2011
The charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research is investing in further development of the Yorkshire & Humberside Haematology Research Network, which has already collected data from over 10,000 blood cancer patients in the Yorkshire area. The network works in partnership with 14 hospitals across Yorkshire and Humberside to gather information about each patient’s diagnosis, treatment course and outcome.
This project offers us a unique opportunity to guide treatment for patients and discover any genetic, environmental or lifestyle factors which may be contributing to these diseases
Professor Eve Roman
The team, led by Professor Eve Roman of the University’s Department of Health Sciences, now has some of the most detailed and accurate information in the world from patients with blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. The new five-year investment will help the scientists continue their analysis of this data, to provide new insights into what causes blood cancers, and which treatments are the most effective.
Professor Roman said: “This project offers us a unique opportunity to guide treatment for patients and discover any genetic, environmental or lifestyle factors which may be contributing to these diseases. Studying blood cancer cells and DNA in patients is essential to moving treatment forward.”
Over 28,500 people are diagnosed with a blood cancer each year in the UK and together they are the fourth most common form of cancer in both men and women, but they represent a very diverse group of diseases. The University of York researchers are seeking to understand more about who develops these cancers, and why.
Dr David Grant, Scientific Director at Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, said: “The work of our team in York over recent years has been outstanding and we are confident that this new investment will lead to improved treatments for blood cancers, which can affect anyone of any age.”
The University of York was named as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ by Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research in 2010, in recognition of its pioneering research into blood cancers.
Notes to editors:
- Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research is the only UK charity solely dedicated to research into blood cancers, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. These cancers are diagnosed in around 28,500 children, teenagers and adults in the UK every year. Further information, including patient information booklets, is available from www.beatbloodcancers.org or on 020 7405 0101.
- The University of York’s Department of Health Sciences large and multidisciplinary, offering a broad range of taught and research programmes in the health and social care field, including nurse education (for which it was ranked the top department in the country for nursing education, by the 2011 Times Good University Guide). It aims to develop the role of scientific evidence in health and healthcare through high quality research, teaching and other forms of dissemination.
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