Blood cancer patient outlives prognosis by years after groundbreaking drug trial

Blood cancer patient outlives prognosis by years after groundbreaking drug trial About 70 per cent of patients who took part in the trial were still alive six years later - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments A pensioner who was given just two years to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive type of blood cancer is still alive eight years later. Ken Theobold, now 76, was diagnosed with high-risk myeloma in 2018 after a routine blood test. About 5,900 people are diagnosed with multiple myeloma – a cancer of the plasma cells – each year in the UK, a quarter of which respond poorly to conventional treatment. “After my diagnosis, I was told that I might only have two years to live, which was incredibly difficult to hear,” Mr Theobold said. But he decided to sign up for a trial investigating the use of a personalised mix of cancer medicines for high-risk patients and eight years later he is able to enjoy spending time in his motorhome and being with his grandchildren. “Joining the trial was an absolute no-brainer. If there was a chance it could help me and help future patients, I wanted to be part of it,” Mr Theobold said. “When I first joined the trial, I was taking five different drugs, which was quite intense but I have since moved to the maintenance part of the trial, which only involves two drugs. “Today, I’m able to enjoy life with my wife, Brenda. We love travelling in our motorhome, and spending time with our five grandchildren is what matters most.” The study, led by experts at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, involved 107 people with newly diagnosed high-risk multiple myeloma – previously known as ultra-high-risk myeloma. Patients were given tailored treatment using a range of drugs. Long-term follow-up data has now shown that patients live significantly longer when their treatment is adapted to the molecular biology of their disease, the ICR said. The ICR, along with experts from the University of Leeds, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and hospitals across the UK, treated patients with a stem cell transplant and a combination of five medicines already used in the NHS – daratumumab, cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone. But patients were given these drugs in a different way, with intense treatment at the start and continuing combination therapy for as long as the disease remained controlled, the ICR said. Mr Theobold was referred to The Royal Marsden and has been treated on the MUK Nine trial for the last eight years. He was given five drugs at the start of the trial and now remains on two. Long-term results from the trial have been published in the journal Lancet Oncology. At around six years of follow-up, 70 per cent of patients who took part in the Optimum trial were still alive, compared with around 40 per cent on standard therapy. Some 54 per cent of patients on the trial remained progression-free at six years, compared with 18 per cent of patients who received usual care. First author Martin Kaiser, professor of molecular haematology at the ICR and consultant haematologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “High-risk myeloma has traditionally been one of the toughest challenges we face, with patients often relapsing early despite the best available treatments. “These long-term results show that when we adapt treatment to the biology of the disease, we can significantly extend survival for many patients who previously had very limited options.” Researchers also examined whether the personalised approach benefitted people with subgroups of the disease. Main symptoms of myeloma NHS Symptoms of myeloma may include: - bone pain – you may feel this in your back, hips, shoulders or ribs - feeling very tired for no reason - shortness of breath - muscle weakness - headaches - feeling very thirsty and needing to pee more often than usual - losing weight without trying They used a test called MMProfiler SKY92, which identified people as high-risk by their gene expression. This gene expression profiling is not routinely available in the NHS, meaning patients who may be high-risk may not be identified as such, the ICR said. The study found that 62 per cent of this subgroup of patients who were given the personalised risk-adapted treatment were still alive and progression-free at six years compared with 20 per cent of patients who had received conventional treatment. The ICR said that the test is being evaluated by health regulators for potential use across the health service. Prof Kaiser said: “This study also shows that some patients with aggressive disease are currently being missed because the necessary molecular tests are not routinely available. Identifying these patients earlier could allow us to tailor treatment from the start and change the course of their disease.” ICR chief executive Professor Kristian Helin said: “These results are a powerful example of how understanding the biology of cancer can transform patient outcomes. “By matching treatment to the molecular features of each person’s disease, we are beginning to outsmart cancers that were once extremely difficult to treat – and high-risk myeloma has long been one of the hardest to treat effectively.” Dr Sophie Castell, chief executive at blood cancer charity Myeloma UK, said: “Identifying which patients are more likely to benefit from a personalised approach to treatment has been shown to keep myeloma at bay longer and give people a better chance to live well with their disease.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments