Clinical trials

Clinical trials are vital for moving breakthroughs discovered in the laboratory into new treatments.  

These important tests give hope to patients who do not respond to conventional drugs, by offering alterative treatments. 

Life-saving treatments

Geoff Thomas was lucky. He was able to receive a life-saving stem cell transplant in 2003, which cured him of leukaemia. But many patients are not so fortunate. 

Geoff realised that patients with blood cancer are being denied potentially life-saving drugs because the clinical trials needed to deliver these treatments are difficult to set up and slow to deliver results.

“Around 30,000 people are diagnosed with a blood cancer in the UK every year. Up to half of these, including people younger and fitter than me do not survive, because curative treatments are not available,” says Geoff.

Without clinical trials progress cannot be made for patients in the future.

Delivering treatments faster

Only 7% of adults with blood cancer are entered into a clinical trial in the UK. This is unacceptable, especially when compared with up to 18% of patients with other forms of cancer.

Despite great advances being made in research, the UK is lacking a defined system through which to deliver these vital treatments to patients, quickly enough. 

Since recovering from leukaemia, Geoff has been campaigning and fundraising to speed up access to new treatments for patients with blood cancer through clinical trials.

Geoff is now working with Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to establish a streamlined network across the UK through which to deliver world-class clinical trials for blood cancer patients.

Much of the inspiration for this initiative came from Geoff’s doctor in Birmingham, Professor Charlie Craddock who has provided a defined framework through which to save more lives. 

Research is vital

Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research is uniquely positioned to make this bold move following more than 50 years of research into blood cancer. This was not possible 10 years ago, as we did not have such extensive knowledge of the basic biology these cancers. 

The strong link forged between our scientists in the laboratories and doctors in hospital clinic is vital to keep improving treatments and ensure that life-saving drugs are delivered to patients when they most need them.