Mike Peters' Battle With CLL
- “The Alarm” singer and guitarist Mike Peters, 65, is now in remission from a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow called chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), thanks to a clinical trial using a chemotherapy combination called R-CHOP.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a type of cancer that starts in bone marrow, the spongy tissue in the center of your bones where new blood cells are made. It affects the immature blood cells that give rise to white blood cells called lymphocytes, which help your body fight infections.
- Lymphoma is a blood cancer, specifically of the immune system, that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. Lymphoma treatment largely depends on the nature of your specific diagnosis. For anyone with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, their cancer is more likely to spread randomly and be discovered in different groups of lymph nodes in the body. Treatment for non-Hodgkin often includes chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
- SurvivorNet experts say a chemotherapy combination called R-CHOP is an effective treatment for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It stands for Rituximab (Rituxan), a monoclonal antibody, Cyclophosphamide (a type of chemotherapy drug), Doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin—a kind of chemotherapy drug), Vincristine sulfate (Oncovin—a sort of chemotherapy drug), and Prednisone (a steroid).
- For help finding a clinical trial that may be right for you and your disease, check out SurvivorNet’s Clinical Trial Finder.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of cancer that starts in bone marrow, the spongy tissue in the center of your bones where new blood cells are made. CLL affects the immature blood cells that give rise to white blood cells called lymphocytes, which help your body fight infections.
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He continued, “I owe this miraculous turnaround to the endeavours of all at The Christie Hospital, Professor Bloor and his outstanding Hematology team, to the dedication and professionalism of the nursing staff on the Day Care Unit in Department 26 and the unwavering service of the specialist nurses who run the clinical trials program. I am also indebted to Dr. Heartin and his team at the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre for reacting so quickly, and referring me to The Christie when the first symptoms appeared at the end of April.
“As a Richter’s Syndrome patient, I know I am very lucky to have achieved Remission and most certainly couldn’t have made it this far without the love and support from my wife Jules and two sons Dylan and Evan. Everyone involved has supported me and my passion for music and helped me to walk the often tricky path to getting on stage and remaining free from infection, especially when I was deep into the five cycles of R-Chop Chemotherapy.”
Understanding Chronic Lymphoctic Leukemia (CLL)
- CLL Treatment Decision Making — Exploring All Your Options To Find What’s Right For You
- CLL is Not Considered Curable So Treatment May Resume Years Later
- ‘The Eye of the Tiger’ — Why Mindset and Lifestyle are So Important During Treatment for CLL
- Active Surveillance For Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- After the Initial CLL Diagnosis: The First Conversation
- Changing the Way CLL is Treated: What are BTK Inhibitors?
- Getting a Second Opinion is a Smart Move After a CLL Diagnosis
- The Importance of Genetic Testing After a CLL Diagnosis
Peters then thanked his loyal fans through his “challenging last few months,” adding, “The ordeal is not over yet however, in fact the toughest challenge of the Stem Cell Transplant can only be faced once the search for the matching blood stem cell donor is complete.”
He concluded, “The transplant team at the Christie, are now searching the international registries to find the right person to match with me, and as soon as that identification has been made, then I could be called into hospital to begin the conditioning process at any minute.
“In the way that someone out there in the world and unknown to me, is going to help save my life, it’s still not too late to register yourself on to the registry and save a life. If you are between the ages of 18 and 55, please follow this link and get on the list now. Love. Hope Strength, Mike Peters.”
Peters’ health struggles began in 1995 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1995, when he reportedly “rejected treatment” and went back on tour, Yahoo News reports. He was later diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2005, and relapsed in 2015.
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Learning About Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of cancer that starts in bone marrow, the spongy tissue in the center of your bones where new blood cells are made. This disease affects the immature blood cells that give rise to white blood cells called lymphocytes, which assist your body’s fight against infections.
RELATED: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Overview
Although scientists don’t know the exact cause of CLL, it is known that a genetic change in white blood cells causes them to become abnormal and divide faster than usual. These abnormal cells eventually crowd out healthy cells.
Once an abundance of the cancer cells is created, they begin to spread to other organs.
What Doctors Know & Need To Learn About CLL, As Per Leukemia Specialist Dr. Nicole Lamanna
Thankfully, researchers have learned a lot about CLL over the years. The information that’s been obtained has helped them develop new and additionally targeted treatments that work better against this cancer, and that can now extend survival for people who are diagnosed.
However, unlike other cancers, CLL is a chronic disease that people can live with for many years. In order for doctors to find the best treatment for you, the type of symptoms you are experiencing, and whether your cancer is growing slowly or is more aggressive, will be taken into consideration.
In the early stages of CLL, treatment might not be necessary. Your doctor may do something called watchful waiting. This doesn’t mean that your doctor will ignore you, but that you’ll get regular check-ups to see if your symptoms get worse or your cancer has spread.
Once it is time to start treatment, your doctor will help you choose from the following options:
- Radiation therapy (uses high-energy X-rays to stop cancer cells from growing)
- Chemotherapy (uses powerful drugs to stop cancer cells all over your body from dividing)
- Targeted therapy (group of treatments that blocks proteins and other substances the cancer needs to grow)
- Immunotherapy (for example, CAR T- cell therapy amplifies your own immune system’s response to help it locate and fight the cancer)
- Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant (a way for your doctor to give you very high doses of chemotherapy)
These are the standard treatments for CLL. However, they’re not the only the only ways to fight the disease.
BTK inhibitors are a pill you take every day to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back. Another is venetoclax, which comes in a pill. This is typically combined with another type of drug called a monoclonal antibody, to keep people with this cancer in remission.
You’ll need to stay on these drugs long-term to keep your cancer from returning.
Meanwhile, if you’ve tried various therapies that no longer work for you, or if you want to add on another treatment to boost the effectiveness, your doctor might suggest that you take part in a clinical trial.
How Clinical Trials Are Helping Doctors Discover New & More Effective CLL Treatments
Clinical trials test out new, and possibly more effective treatments for cancers like CLL. Enrolling in one of these trials could give you access to a state-of-the-art drug before it’s available to everyone else.
Understanding R-CHOP Chemotherapy
A chemotherapy combination called R-CHOP, which Peters underwent, is a drug cocktail consisting of chemotherapy drugs, plus an antibody drug and a steroid to treat diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Here’s how the acronym breaks down:
- R: Rituximab (Rituxan) is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to a specific protein called CD20, which sits on the surface of
- B cells. It targets the cancerous cells and destroys them.
- C: Cyclophosphamide is a type of chemotherapy drug
- D: Doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
- V: Vincristine sulfate (Oncovin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
- P: Prednisone is a steroid, which lowers inflammation
Patients receiving R-CHOP receive the drug in six cycles that are three weeks apart.
“R-CHOP is a cocktail of drugs. There are five different drugs in that recipe,” Dr. Jennifer Crombie, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, tells SurvivorNet
WATCH: Understanding R-CHOP treatment.
Participating in Clinical Trials
Clinical cancer trials are medical research studies in which people diagnosed with cancer take part in.
These trials are put in place to create better treatments for cancer fighters, but they can also be focused on screening or diagnosing cancer, instead of treatment.
Many people diagnosed with cancer have had life-saving results thanks to clinical trials, Peters who is now in remission from CLL. There’s also brave mom Laurie Adami, who had a cancer called non-Hodgkin lymphoma spread across her body and was healed through a revolutionary treatment in a clinical trial.
Clinical Trials Can be Life-Saving for Some
Clinical trials are a key tool in the toolbox of cancer patients and their care teams.
“Clinical trials help patients receive cutting-edge treatments for cancer that otherwise would not be accessible to them,” Dr. Suman Rao, an oncologist at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
“Patients on trials are also very closely monitored for side effects and often get the extra benefit of the whole research team being involved in their care.”
RELATED: SurvivorNet’s Guide To Clinical Trials: What Are They And Are They Right for You?
From the start of a patient’s cancer diagnosis, options should be discussed with their care teams, Dr. Rao says.
“Clinical trials should be considered at the first diagnosis of cancer, regardless of stage,” she explained. “There are new treatments being investigated for every stage of cancer.”
Patients should discuss clinical trials with their cancer care team, but can also empower themselves by doing their own research.
“There are various resources that can help find clinical trials,” Dr. Rao adds, citing the websites for the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society, as places to start.
SurvivorNet has an easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder that can help you find a study that may be right for you.
Zanubrutinib is a New and Improved Medication For Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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