“A magic bullet”: New leukemia treatment available can cure aggressive cancer
Researchers at Royal Perth Hospital are thrilled that they’ve helped uncover a new drug that can cure an aggressive type of Leukemia.
It’s been dubbed “the magic bullet” as retiree Howard Kurth, 80, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia two years ago.
He told Nine News Perth that he had just days to live.
"There was absolutely no sign of tiredness or soreness or anything," he said.
"It was just a shot out of the blue."
Howard was riddled with the deadly disease as it had made its way through more than 90 per cent of his body.
His health was so bad that he wasn’t eligible for normal chemotherapy, but with this new treatment, he’s just celebrated his 80th birthday.
Howard went into remission within four months of starting the new treatment and is still in remission two years later.
"I thought, 'Well, I am going to beat this, there's no two ways about it', and so far I have," he said.
He is the first patient in Australia to undergo the treatment and the treatment requires two pills taken every day and a small injection of chemotherapy seven days a month.
Dr Peter Tan, from Royal Perth Hospital, says they are now using the results to personalise treatments.
"What we're trying to find are certain markers to personalise treatment for patients as we know a one-size-fits-all doesn't help everybody," he said.
"We think it will change the standard therapy and once it does become available for all patients, it will be the new gold standard across the world."