News
Rock frontman in ‘complete remission’ from incurable blood cancer after drugs trial in Manchester
The plan is to now go ahead with a treatment that will give the 65-year-old the chance of finally being cured of the disease.
Emily Sergeant -
1st October 2024 
The frontman of an acclaimed rock band is now in ‘complete remission’ from an incurable form of blood cancer following a groundbreaking drugs trial in Manchester.
Mike Peters, who is the frontman for Welsh punk rock band, The Alarm, was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) – which is the most common type of leukaemia, and is usually slow growing – more than 29 years ago, before sadly being diagnosed with a rapidly-progressive blood cancer, known as Richter’s syndrome, earlier this year.
While CLL unfortunately cannot be cured, it is normally known to respond to treatment, and in Mike’s case, the 65-year-old had received four courses of chemotherapy since he was first diagnosed.
Back in April of this year, Mike was about to embark on a 50-date tour of the US with his band when he felt a lump in his neck whilst shaving which had appeared overnight, and following a biopsy of the lump, it was then revealed that he had developed Richter’s syndrome, where his CLL changed into an aggressive fast-growing lymphoma.
The North Wales-based father of two sons was sadly then forced to cancel his tour and disappoint thousands of fans.
#InTheNews Mike Peters, lead singer of The Alarm, is in remission from a rare form of lymphoma called Richter's syndrome after taking part in a clinical trial at The Christie.
— The Christie NHS (@TheChristieNHS) September 30, 2024
More
👉 https://t.co/ga2gj6VtzV pic.twitter.com/AwoB1KMWqJ
Mike was referred from the North Wales Cancer Centre to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust here in Manchester, and agreed to take part in a randomised phase II clinical trial, which was setting out to investigate the combination of a targeted therapy called acalabrutinib, in combination with standard chemotherapy.
Although acalabrutinib is already approved for CLL, according to The Christie, it had not been tested in combination with chemotherapy for Richter’s Syndrome.
The aim of this new combined therapy was to increase both the chance of the cancer responding to treatment, and the duration of the response, and so, just two weeks after his diagnosis, Mike started the first of five cycles of chemotherapy.
Miraculously, a scan in August showed that there are currently no signs of cancer – which doctors describe as “complete remission” – with the plan now being to go ahead with a donor stem cell transplant, which will offer the rockstar the chance of finally being cured of the disease.
“I can’t thank The Christie enough for getting me on this clinical trial,” Mike said.
“I consider myself lucky I discovered the lump before I’d left for the States, as I might not be here now if I hadn’t. Doctors told me without treatment, I only had a couple of months to live, which was a huge shock [but] the drugs worked so quickly, and the lump disappeared as fast as it appeared.”
Read more:
- UK supermarket pharmacies to begin offering free cancer symptom advice
- Sarah Harding commemorative plaque unveiled at special fundraising event in Stockport
- Stone Roses bassist Mani raises over £100k for The Christie and local NHS charities
“I’d encourage anyone to consider taking part in a clinical trial if that is a viable option for them,” Mike concluded.
Featured Image – The Christie NHS
