'I survived childhood cancer, now I'm training to be a paediatric nurse'

A childhood cancer survivor now training to become a paediatric nurse is among an estimated 35,000 young people saved by medical advances over the last 50 years. Aleesha-marie Southam, 19, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia six years ago. She joined a clinical trial which helped doctors predict the risk of her cancer returning and led to her receiving a stem cell transplant.

New analysis from Cancer Research UK (CRUK) finds she is one of around 18,000 children and young people (aged 25 and under) who have taken part in studies it has supported since 2002. Research backed by the charity has contributed to the discovery of half the world's cancer drugs considered essential for children, and played a key role in many of the advances that have helped 34,500 UK children and young people survive into adulthood since the 1970s.

Aleesha-marie said: "Clinical trials for childhood cancers are so important. It could help so many children be able to have a full life and achieve everything they want.

"If it wasn't for the MyeChild01 trial, I wouldn't be where I am today studying something I love and being able to support children like the nurses did for me."

The nursing student's cancer was found in October 2019 when she was just 13. She had experienced symptoms including tiredness, unexplained weight loss, bleeding and bruising.

She said: "Some of these symptoms were thought to be caused by a medication I was taking at the time and it wasn't until I started to bleed unexpectedly and lose weight that we realised something wasn't right.

"Three hours after the blood test, my mum came to pick me up from school and took me to the hospital where they did some examinations and concluded that I had leukaemia.

"It was a scary moment hearing those words and it took some time to process what had been said. It took a lot of explaining from different professionals for me to fully understand what was going on."

Aleesha-marie, of Manchester, joined the MyeChild01 clinical trial which was testing different doses of gemtuzumab ozogamicin - a combination of a targeted therapy antibody drug and a chemotherapy drug.

During the study, researchers also took a sample of her cancer cells for DNA testing. They identified genetic changes which indicated that her leukaemia would likely return without a stem cell transplant.

Side effects of her intensive treatments included ulcers, vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, weakened heart muscles, early menopause and infertility.

Aleesha-marie said: "The treatment was long and took so many things away from me, even after the treatment finished there were still things I couldn't do and still struggle with now."

Describing how the experience inspired her career choice, she added: "After spending around seven months in and out of hospital and many long stays, I built a good relationship with all the nurses I met and they supported me throughout all my treatment.

"They would explain things to me after the doctors had left the room, sitting with me and just talking and messing around with me. I had always wanted a medical career but had never decided where that would end up.

"I am now a second year children and young people's nurse at Salford University and on placement, which I am very much enjoying."

While celebrating the advances made, the charity is also calling for continued investment in research into childhood cancers. Around 4,100 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK, equivalent to 11 new cases every day.

Professor Anindita Roy, a CRUK-funded scientist and paediatric haematologist at the University of Oxford, said: "The significant increase in survival rates for cancers in children and young people is a testament to decades of dedicated research.

"Children's cancers are biologically different from adult cancers, often developing from the earliest stages of life, which means treatments must be carefully tailored.

"While some progress has been made, we have much further to go, including with some treatment-resistant and rare subtypes that remain a critical focus.

"Continued investment in childhood cancer research is essential to develop targeted therapies that improve outcomes and quality of life for all young patients."

Since the 1970s, around 34,500 children and young people in the UK have survived their cancer diagnosis and lived into adulthood, thanks to research.

We're proud of the role Cancer Research UK has played in helping improve survival rates, giving many of these children the opportunity to live full lives - studying, working, starting families, and shaping the world around them.

Since 2002, we've supported clinical trials involving around 18,000 children and young people and our work over the decades has contributed to the development of half the world's essential cancer medicines for children. These advances mean more young people are not only surviving but also living with a better quality of life after treatment.

But there is still much more to do. Cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease in young people in the UK, and for some cancer types, progress has stalled.

That's why we continue to invest in world-class research, to deepen our understanding of childhood cancers and to develop new treatments that are more effective, with fewer long-term side effects. Many survivors live with serious health impacts following treatment, and improving quality of life remains a key objective of our work.

Progress depends on collaboration. Through our C-Further initiative - which recently welcomed Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity as its latest partner - we're accelerating breakthroughs for children and young people with cancer.

By bringing together researchers, funders, families and the public, we're working to ensure that more children and young people will lead longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.

- Michelle Mitchell is Cancer Research UK's chief executive