BLOOD cancer patients are being encouraged to bring along a family member to participate in a world-first study hoping to uncover the causes of follicular lymphoma.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales are launching a unique study into the causes of follicular lymphoma, one of the most common types of a rare group of blood cancers, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The study will survey patients currently being treated for the cancer along with a family member without the disease.
They'll be questioned on their lifestyle and occupation, and samples of their DNA will be taken.
It's a world-first study which tries to uncover why some members of a family develop the disease, while others don't.
"In families we share genes and share exposures, so this is using a rather novel way of designing the study, to try and find out what's different between two brothers or sisters," the study's leader, associate professor Claire Vajdic told AAP.
"This is the first time we've targeted the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma to better understand why it occurs and what factors contribute to it and identify potential treatments."
The study has already begun in Victoria, and the university is now looking for participants in NSW.
"Even though is a very common disease, we need to conduct a study in two states so that we get meaningful results," Ms Vajdic said.
The study has been prompted because of an "epidemic" of new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with incidences increasing by 40 per cent in the last 25 years.
While the reasons behind this are not clear, researchers believe it may have something to do with occupational exposures to pesticides and insolvents.
That's why study participants will have their blood samples collected to search for pesticides and see why they've developed.
Ms Vajdic said the potential for the study's findings could be big.
"It's an incurable disease at this stage.
"We want to identify the risk factors for this disease to target better programs to guide people on how they can reduce their risk of developing it."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
World-first study to probe blood cancer
Dengan url
http://pepatahama.blogspot.com/2012/11/world-first-study-to-probe-blood-cancer.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
World-first study to probe blood cancer
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
World-first study to probe blood cancer
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar