To raise money for Great Ormond Street
Hospital I will be undertaking the task of cycling 514km London -
Paris on 25-28 June 2009.
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Great Ormond Street is a great cause. Not only do they provide
fantastic medical care they are also a major investor into
Childhood cancer research.
The continued improvement in survival rates for children with
leukaemia seen over the past 40 years has resulted from the use of
increasingly intensive treatment. It is now recognised that
many of those cured with modern chemotherapy are probably being
over treated. Nevertheless, a number of children relapse and
leukaemia remains the commonest cause of death from cancer in
childhood.
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Curing childhood leukaemia therefore requires
a delicate balance between the potential toxic effects of therapy
and effective control of the disease. Crucial to this process
is for doctors to know how much leukaemia is present - the more
leukaemic cells there are in a patient’s blood, the greater the
dose of therapy is needed to fight them off, and the larger the
potential side effects.
This pioneering project will use the latest
genetic technology to measure tiny levels of minimal residual
disease (MRD) in children with acute leukaemia. Knowing
exactly how much disease is present will allow doctors to target
the most intensive treatment to only those patients who need it the
most. It will also allow treatment to be started
earlier - tackling the disease at a point when it is less
likely to have taken hold.
Dr Nick Goulden and his fellow investigators
are national experts in their field. It is envisaged that
should the project be successful, within three years, the
techniques from the laboratory will be rolled out to a NHS-funded
protocol, influencing therapy for patients across the country and,
ultimately, around the world.
I am delighted to be raising money for this
very worthy cause. If you would like to sponsor this event yourself
then please visit my sponsorship page www.justgiving.com/l2p-2009.
All support is greatly appreciated.
All donations will be DOUBLED by Towergate.
With Gift Aid this means a £26 donation will be worth a massive
£59.28 to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Michael
Gillingham
Charity Champion Towergate
City
