A collaborative effort between Newcastle University and eight other UK institutions has identified a potential aid for prognostication of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL), the most common form of blood cancer.
The genome-wide association study, published in Nature Communications, found that a “common genetic variation contributes to the heritable risk of CLL”.
The study identified a genetic tendency in the blood samples of CLL patients, providing an opportunity for prospective patients to be informed of their probability of developing CLL. Early identification of risk could allow for the preparation of personalised treatment plans, before the onset of the illness.
According to Newcastle University Professor James Allan, the early treatment of patients at high-risk of progressive CLL “could significantly delay the onset of symptomatic leukaemia and improve survival”.