I. The term leukaemia refers to a group of malignant diseases originating in the stage of early formation of the blood cells. The bone marrow, the organ where blood cells are formed, produces large quantities of anomalous white blood cells. This results in anaemias (because of lack of red blood cells), haemorrhages (because of lack of platelets) and infections (because of a decrease in the number of normal leucocytes). Theses anomalous white blood cells and the consequent illnesses produced by them are the main symptoms of the leukaemia. 


II. Leukaemia can be defined as acute or chronic. Though this distinction was traditionally made according to the sufferer's life span, these terms are currently applied on the basis of the abnormal cells' maturity. Hence, acute leukaemias are characterised by groups of mainly very immature cells, whereas chronic leukaemias are characterised by groups of more mature cells. Acute leukaemias are more prevalent in children, even though they have a higher rate of cure. 

III. Every year between 60 and 100 new cases of leukaemia per 1,000,000 inhabitants are reported in Western countries. Only fifty years ago, leukaemia was a taboo subject. It was considered a fatal illness. 

IV. At the moment total recovery figures in children with leukaemia are remarkable: 80% of cases in children aged 1 to 9; but recovery figures diminish to 50% of cases in children aged up to 14. In adults, recovery figures are lower, though about 25% of cases are cured. 

V. The disease which is somewhat more prevalent in men, may strike at any age. The great scientific advances of the past thirty years have brought progress in the treatment of leukaemia. During the sixties many of the drugs for the treatment of leukaemia were discovered, and in the seventies the combination of these (chemotherapy) sometimes in association with radiotherapy was successfully applied in the treatment of the condition. 

VI. In the seventies, the American Prof. E. Donnall Thomas pioneered a change in the treatment of leukaemia which led to positive results: bone marrow transplantation. Prof. Thomas, member of the Foundation's Board of Trustees, was the recipient of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Medicine for this work. In 1988 Prof. Eliot and Prof. Hitchings were also awarded the same Prize for their work on "the characterization of the mother blood cells and their regulating factors". This work constituted an advance in knowledge concerning the origin and treatment of leukaemia. 

VII. Currently, the two primary means of treatment of leukaemia are chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Bone marrow transplantation, which was experimental until a few years ago, has become a really important therapeutic alternative.