An international team of researchers have found that patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) had genetic changes in their blood years before they suddenly developed the disease. The study, published in the journal Nature, found that blood tests looking for changes in the DNA code can reveal the roots of AML in healthy people. Haematological Malignancies Programme Member Dr George Vassiliou, one of the joint leaders on the study said: “Our study provides for the first time evidence that we can identify people at risk of developing AML many years before they actually develop this life-threatening disease. We hope to build on these findings to develop robust screening tests for identifying those at risk and drive research into how to prevent or stall progression towards AML. Our aspiration is that one day AML prevention would provide a compelling alternative to treatment.”
