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.
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#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.
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.
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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.
Rock frontman Mike Peters is now in ‘complete remission’ from an incurable form of blood cancer / Credit: The Christie NHS
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.
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“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.”
“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
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No trams to run on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
People are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as no trams are set to run on three major Greater Manchester Metrolink lines this weekend.
As part of a continuing £150 million investment in the Metrolink network across the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line, and work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.
As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this Easter bank holiday weekend all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.
On top of these line closures, there is also set to be disruption across other parts of the network too, as on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines, trams will run to Firswood only, and services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
To keep people moving over the four-day weekend, replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, TfGM has confirmed.
Anyone using a replacement bus, however, will still need a valid Metrolink ticket or a one-day Bee bus ticket to travel, and customers will be able to use all existing options to buy these, as they will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses themselves.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
Replacement buses are said to be calling at ‘all affected stops’ along the lines, so customers are being told not to worry about that.
Speaking ahead of the improvement works being carried out this weekend, Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.”
TfGM has assured that staff will be out and on-hand across the network this weekend, but is urging anyone travelling to plan for their journeys ahead of time to make sure they go as smoothly as possible.
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April while the track is repaired, and a further weekend closure for track repairs on the Ashton line will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April.
Find out more and plan ahead on the Bee Network’s dedicated webpage here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
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Three men arrested after ‘shocking’ Salford pub fight leaves victim in life-threatening condition
Emily Sergeant
Three men have been arrested as police continue to appeal following a ‘shocking’ incident in Salford over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 2:51am yesterday (Sunday 29 March), officers were called to reports of an assault at a pub on Liverpool Road in Irlam, where it’s understood that an incident involving several males took place.
Police quickly attended the scene, and one male was rushed to hospital.
The man sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he’s said to remain in a life-threatening condition.
While officers are working ‘at speed’ on their investigation to establish the full circumstances of this incident, a scene is currently in place, and road closures are affecting the immediate area.
At this time, it has been confirmed that three men – all in their 20s – have been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, and they remain in custody for further questioning while GMP renews its public appeal for information.
“This is a shocking incident and our thoughts are firmly with the victim and his family during this extremely difficult time,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Helen Bagnall, from GMP’s Salford district. “We are working at pace and remain absolutely committed to identifying everyone involved and bringing those responsible to justice.
“Three arrests have been made in connection with this incident, and we are continuing to appeal for further information.
“Officers remain committed to understand the full circumstances and are urging anyone with information to come forward to support our investigation.”
Can you help? A dedicated online Major Incident Public Portal has been set up, and information, CCTV, dashcam, doorbell, and phone images and footage can be submitted here, or you can also contact police on 101, quoting log 256 of 29/03/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
1st October 2024 
