Leukaemia cure?

A REVOLUTIONARY new treatment that has the potential to cure leukaemia might soon be available in Australia’s public hospitals, according to the Minister for Health Greg Hunt.

In various appearences this week he has explained that “CAR-T therapy” involves using the body’s own immune system by removing T cells, “supercharging them” and returning them into the patient to be more capable to fight the cancer.

In some of the childhood leukaemias this can actually cure the disease making the process a single treatment.

The approach is being used in the US and is being urgently assessed by Australian regulatory authorities for its use in this country, possibly as soon as Nov this year, Hunt said.

The cost of a treatment could be up to $500,000 but would replace 10 years of very expensive therapy.