The Leukaemia Foundation has unveiled the first project to receive funding from its new multi-million dollar national research program.
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The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapy will get $1 million to meet the urgent need for new approaches to better prevent and treat the potentially deadly graft versus host disease (GVHD).
The new funding announcement comes as the Leukaemia Foundation launches the annual Light the Night campaign for 2018, with funds raised this year going toward the new national research program.
Speaking on a visit to Mount Isa on Wednesday for the AGM of the active local branch, Leukaemia Foundation’s CEO Bill Petch said they were the non-government body investing in the Centre which will provide better outcomes for Australians living with GVHD.
“This funding is part of the Leukaemia Foundation’s new, high impact, research strategy and is committed to supporting medical research that will drive rapid advancements in treatments,” Mr Petch said.
He said GVHD affects over half of stem cell transplant recipients in Australia.
“It occurs when donated cells (the graft) see your body cells (the host) as foreign, and attack them,” he said.
”Chronic GVHD causes severe abdominal pain, mouth ulcers, muscle or joint pain and extreme damage to vital organs such as lungs and liver.”
Mr Petch said GVHD was one of the most significant contributors for transplant related deaths and 20% of SCT recipients develop severe acute GVHD that does not respond to conventional treatment, resulting in more than half of those people dying.
“We need to take this major step to search for better prevention and treatment in hopes for a future that is free from GVHD, and free from blood cancer,” he said.
To ensure patients have equitable access to the research and trials conducted by the Centre, the Leukaemia Foundation also will provide additional funding for eligible patients for their transport and accommodation needs.
“In the last two years, we’ve provided funding for 50 families from Mount Isa to access to services for blood cancer,” Mr Petch said.
“To get access to clinical trials is even harder for people in the regions because it is not funded and is not supported – our funding will help people’s quality of life improve.”
Mr Petch also spoke about Light the Night which will be held across Australia on Friday, October 5.
The inspiring event includes a beautiful evening lantern ceremony and walk which will be held in around 140 locations across Australia, including in Mount Isa.
“This is the 11th year it’s been happening,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful event because it promotes support and solidarity in the blood cancer community and it does highlight some of the issues faced by that community.”
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
