Blood cancers

Acute and chronic leukaemias often start out in the bone marrow before invading the blood. In certain leukaemias, this is so severe that the white blood cells overtake the red blood cells and the blood loses its normal red colour.

The lymphomas and multiple myeloma tend to form solid tumours in lymph glands, bone marrow or other tissues but often evolve into a leukaemic phase where the tumour cells invade the blood stream in large numbers.

More general information on leukaemia and related conditions can be obtained from the Leukaemia Foundation of Australia.

Blood cancers studied at QIMR:

  • Epstein-Barr virus-related lymphomas (Hodgkin's lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, AIDS-related lymphomas and diffuse large B cell lymphomas)
  • Leukaemias (acute myeloid leukaemia)
  • Myeloproliferative neoplasm (polycythemia vera, myelofibrosis, essential thrombocythemia) and myelodysplastic syndrome

Our research focuses on:

  • Studying complications to bone marrow transplantation such as graft-versus-host disease.
  • Examining the properties of the Epstein-Barr virus, which is thought to cause a wide range of lymphomas and leukaemias.
  • Researching the development of white blood cells to understand how they become malignant.

Our recent research has found:

  • A new therapy that uses an antibody to target the leukaemia cells. This therapy is currently still in clinical trials.

Research groups involved in blood cancers research: