Latest news with #LeukaemiaFoundation
Perth Now
09-06-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Family's new devastating blow after three relatives battle cancer
A Sydney family dealt three health blows in recent years is preparing for another cancer fight. Ross Taylor, 35, will start chemotherapy this week after he was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin lymphoma. His diagnosis comes shortly after his cousin overcame the same rare cancer. It also follows the sad death of his father-in-law to brain cancer five years ago, while his mother-in-law is in remission following her battle with stage four follicular lymphoma. 'All I could think (when I was diagnosed) was about the future, my family, my business,' Ross, a dad to twin toddler boys and the owner of a plumbing operation that he launched, told 'You're always trying to climb and climb, but nothing can prepare you for this. 'I'm lucky to have amazing people around me.' One of his rocks, he says, is his wife Kayla, who was front and centre to the cruelty of cancer while a caregiver to her parents just a few years ago. 'She's been all over everything (in terms of planning),' Ross said. 'She looked into medications, booking appointments, on top of being a great mum and doing her work as well. 'I couldn't do it without her.' Ross Taylor, pictured with wife Kayla and their twin sons, will begin treatment on Tuesday. Credit: Taylor family The active dad first noticed something was wrong after a cross-fit competition six months ago. Credit: Ross Taylor Taylor first noticed something was wrong six months ago after pulling up from a cross-fit competition with a sore back. Scans showed a fracture in his lower spine and two bulging disks, but he was expected to have healed in about six weeks with rest. When he was still in pain and essentially 'stuck', he went back to his doctor. 'It got to the point I couldn't walk,' Taylor said. Further scans identified a 10cm-round tumour on top of his heart, with cancer also in his spine, lungs, stomach and hips. Doctors confirmed he had Hodgkin lymphoma, a disease 800 Australians are diagnosed with every year. The average age at diagnosis is 44. Kayla said it was another cruel blow so soon after other members of their family had fallen sick. 'It's really hard — you think, 'he's too young for this',' she said. 'There's a lot of stress involved, especially with the business. 'I just want him to rest up so he can get better.' Ross will begin chemotherapy — a new treatment called BrECADD — on Tuesday. '(BrECADD) has shown some promising results in clinical trials, being better tolerated and more effective than the eBEACOPP regimen in first-line treatment for adult patients with advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma,' the Leukaemia Foundation told 'Results suggest some patients on BrECADD had fewer side effects and better progression-free survival rates.' The foundation said that while most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma can be treated, 'some face poor prognoses and long-term side effects from treatment, including secondary malignancies, cardiovascular disease and infertility'. 'Hodgkin lymphoma patients who often experience poorer outcomes are those who don't respond well to treatment or relapse,' the foundation said. 'Current treatments include ABVD and eBEACOPP, with eBEACOPP being more intensive and effective but having higher toxicity. 'It is not yet clear to us if BrECADD compares favourably with ABVD, which can be the preferred treatment over eBEACOPP for many patients. 'The Leukaemia Foundation welcomes research into safer and more effective treatments for blood cancer, including lymphoma.' Ross Taylor, pictured with his two children, will begin treatment this week. Credit: Ross Taylor Each of Ross' six cycles will cost $15,000, a financial burden he thought he would have to shoulder himself because it is not currently covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) or Medicare. But loved ones and strangers alike have come together to cover almost all of that $90,000 cost via a GoFundMe. 'We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the love and generosity shown to our family during the hardest time of our lives,' Ross said. 'Your support has not only eased the financial burden to help pay for my treatment, but it has lifted our spirts in ways words can't fully express. Thank you for standing with us, your kind words mean everything.' The active father, who is used to rising early to hit the gym before heading to work, spending time with his kids and then powering through late night emails, said it would be incredibly hard to take a step back. He said he would be off work for at least six months, and feared for the future of his business. 'I want to keep working through but the specialists basically said, 'nope, you will need some time to rest and recover',' he said. The Leukaemia Foundation said it would support BrECADD being listed on the PBS if the 'clinical data is strong enough'.
7NEWS
09-06-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
Sydney family in new health fight after parents and cousin diagnosed with different cancers
A Sydney family dealt three health blows in recent years is preparing for another cancer fight. Ross Taylor, 35, will start chemotherapy this week after he was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin lymphoma. His diagnosis comes shortly after his cousin overcame the same rare cancer. It also follows the sad death of his father-in-law to brain cancer five years ago, while his mother-in-law is in remission following her battle with stage four follicular lymphoma. 'All I could think (when I was diagnosed) was about the future, my family, my business,' Ross, a dad to twin toddler boys and the owner of a plumbing operation that he launched, told 'You're always trying to climb and climb, but nothing can prepare you for this. 'I'm lucky to have amazing people around me.' One of his rocks, he says, is his wife Kayla, who was front and centre to the cruelty of cancer while a caregiver to her parents just a few years ago. 'She's been all over everything (in terms of planning),' Ross said. 'She looked into medications, booking appointments, on top of being a great mum and doing her work as well. 'I couldn't do it without her.' Taylor first noticed something was wrong six months ago after pulling up from a cross-fit competition with a sore back. Scans showed a fracture in his lower spine and two bulging disks, but he was expected to have healed in about six weeks with rest. When he was still in pain and essentially 'stuck', he went back to his doctor. 'It got to the point I couldn't walk,' Taylor said. Further scans identified a 10cm-round tumour on top of his heart, with cancer also in his spine, lungs, stomach and hips. Doctors confirmed he had Hodgkin lymphoma, a disease 800 Australians are diagnosed with every year. The average age at diagnosis is 44. Kayla said it was another cruel blow so soon after other members of their family had fallen sick. 'It's really hard — you think, 'he's too young for this',' she said. 'There's a lot of stress involved, especially with the business. 'I just want him to rest up so he can get better.' Beginning treatment Ross will begin chemotherapy — a new treatment called BrECADD — on Tuesday. '(BrECADD) has shown some promising results in clinical trials, being better tolerated and more effective than the eBEACOPP regimen in first-line treatment for adult patients with advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma,' the Leukaemia Foundation told 'Results suggest some patients on BrECADD had fewer side effects and better progression-free survival rates.' The foundation said that while most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma can be treated, 'some face poor prognoses and long-term side effects from treatment, including secondary malignancies, cardiovascular disease and infertility'. 'Hodgkin lymphoma patients who often experience poorer outcomes are those who don't respond well to treatment or relapse,' the foundation said. 'Current treatments include ABVD and eBEACOPP, with eBEACOPP being more intensive and effective but having higher toxicity. 'It is not yet clear to us if BrECADD compares favourably with ABVD, which can be the preferred treatment over eBEACOPP for many patients. 'The Leukaemia Foundation welcomes research into safer and more effective treatments for blood cancer, including lymphoma.' Each of Ross' six cycles will cost $15,000, a financial burden he thought he would have to shoulder himself because it is not currently covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) or Medicare. But loved ones and strangers alike have come together to cover almost all of that $90,000 cost via a GoFundMe. 'We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the love and generosity shown to our family during the hardest time of our lives,' Ross said. 'Your support has not only eased the financial burden to help pay for my treatment, but it has lifted our spirts in ways words can't fully express. Thank you for standing with us, your kind words mean everything.' The active father, who is used to rising early to hit the gym before heading to work, spending time with his kids and then powering through late night emails, said it would be incredibly hard to take a step back. He said he would be off work for at least six months, and feared for the future of his business. 'I want to keep working through but the specialists basically said, 'nope, you will need some time to rest and recover',' he said. The Leukaemia Foundation said it would support BrECADD being listed on the PBS if the 'clinical data is strong enough'.
Sydney Morning Herald
30-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
What is the Nordic Protocol, Magda Szubanski's cancer treatment?
On Thursday, beloved Australian actress Magda Szubanski announced that she has stage four cancer. The 64-year-old, known for her performances in Kath and Kim and sketch show Fast Forward, also revealed she was starting 'one of the best treatments available' – the Nordic protocol. Here's what we know about it. What is the Nordic Protocol? The Nordic Protocol is a type of chemoimmunotherapy treatment. It combines chemotherapy (which slows the growth of cancer cells) with immunotherapy (which aims to restore the immune system). According to the NSW Cancer Institute, the treatment is suitable for patients under 65 with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma. Also known as the Nordic Regimen, its name comes from a major trial that happened at the Danish-based Nordic Lymphoma Group. What is mantle cell lymphoma? Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare type of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is a cancer of the lymphatic system – part of the immune system which produces immune cells and protects the body from viruses and bacteria. According to the Leukaemia Foundation, the cancer is relatively uncommon, accounting for between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
The Age
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
What is the Nordic Protocol, Magda Szubanski's cancer treatment?
On Thursday, beloved Australian actress Magda Szubanski announced that she has stage four cancer. The 64-year-old, known for her performances in Kath and Kim and sketch show Fast Forward, also revealed she was starting 'one of the best treatments available' – the Nordic protocol. Here's what we know about it. What is the Nordic Protocol? The Nordic Protocol is a type of chemoimmunotherapy treatment. It combines chemotherapy (which slows the growth of cancer cells) with immunotherapy (which aims to restore the immune system). According to the NSW Cancer Institute, the treatment is suitable for patients under 65 with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma. Also known as the Nordic Regimen, its name comes from a major trial that happened at the Danish-based Nordic Lymphoma Group. What is mantle cell lymphoma? Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare type of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is a cancer of the lymphatic system – part of the immune system which produces immune cells and protects the body from viruses and bacteria. According to the Leukaemia Foundation, the cancer is relatively uncommon, accounting for between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
ABC News
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Magda Szubanski has a rare stage four blood cancer. What is mantle cell lymphoma?
Australian actor Magda Szubanski, best-known for her iconic role as Sharon in Kath and Kim, has been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. The 64-year-old announced her diagnosis of stage four mantle cell lymphoma on social media on Thursday afternoon. Here's what we know about the disease and how it's treated. Mantle cell lymphoma is a type of blood cancer. It begins in the lymphatic system, which helps to fight disease and infection via a network of lots of tiny tubes throughout the body. It affects the outer edge — also known as the mantle zone — of a type of white blood cell called B-cells or B lymphocytes, the Leukaemia Foundation says. What this means is that the body is making abnormal B-cells, British charity Cancer Research UK's website says. When someone has mantle cell lymphoma, these B-cells don't work properly, so they can't fight infection like they normally would. And these abnormal cells build up in the lymph nodes or in other body parts. "They form tumours and begin to cause problems within the lymphatic system or the organ where they are growing," Cancer Research UK says. Mantle cell lymphoma is one of about 60 sub-types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the Cancer Council's website says. Szubanski said her cancer was discovered incidentally via a breast screen, which she'd had after "feeling pretty ratshit for ages". The first sign of this type of cancer is generally painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin. "Multiple lymph nodes may be affected as well as other sites of the body including the spleen, bone marrow, blood, tonsils and adenoids, liver, brain, spinal cord and gastrointestinal tract," the Leukaemia Foundation says. "Mantle cell lymphoma commonly affects the bowel, with worsening diarrhoea often a sign of this." Here are some of the other symptoms the foundation lists: Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and stem cell transplants are among the treatments listed by the Leukaemia Foundation. "Treatment is often successful initially, however relapses are common," the foundation says. "New treatments for mantle cell lymphoma are being researched all the time in clinical trials in some Australian hospitals." Szubanski echoed this in her post to fans. "I've started one of the best treatments available (the Nordic protocol)," she said. "I'm lucky to be getting absolutely world-class care here in Melbourne." She said the treatment would give her immune system "a hammering" and leave her immunocompromised. Stage 4 cancer means the cancer has spread to other areas of the body, the Cancer Insititue NSW website says. It's the highest stage on the scale, which ranges from stage 0 to stage 4. Stage 4 cancer is also called metastatic or advanced cancer. Szubanski's announcement was met with an immediate outpouring of support from her entertainment colleagues and fans. It prompted others to share their experience with the disease in the comments section of her Instagram post. Here are a few of the comments offering insight into mantle cell lymphoma treatment: "I was diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma ten years ago! I was 57 at the time, I had 7 strong chemos over 7 months & a stem cell transplant!! I'm still here!! It's a lot & Mantle cell is an unusual one but medicine today is amazing! I'm fighting fit & I believe in my glass being half full!! I'm sending so much love to you & you will get through it!! I ended up with curly hair!!!! Xoxo" "My dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma in 2021. He went through chemo, and had been in remission for three years when we found out this last Christmas it was back, but not as aggressively. He started chemo again and will finish this week! He's doing amazingly, and I know you will too!" "My brother was diagnosed with the same 15 years ago. Back then Google said it had a 4 % survival rate. His treatment started with his stem cell then the Nordic Protocol and finally stem cell from your brother. We just celebrated his 70th last year in Langkawi Malaysia and he is fighting fit. Off all meds. Married 4 years ago. Loving life 💕👍🏻 Trust the process 💕"
