'This miraculous turnaround': Mike Peters' cancer goes into remission thanks to groundbreaking drug trial

In April, Mike Peters of The Alarm reported that his cancer had returned. The frontman, who was diagnosed with leukemia 29 years ago and fought a very public battle with the disease, was found to have Richter syndrome, which turned his chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) into a disease aggressive and more malignant.

The illness, which doctors said would kill Peters within months if left untreated, necessitated the cancellation of The Alarm’s planned US tour and saw Peters begin treatment at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, where he began treatment with acalabrutinib. a trial drug, in combination with chemotherapy.

Peters now reports that he is in complete remission.

Writing on Alarm’s website, Peters writes: “This is momentous news, especially considering that I was only diagnosed with Aggressive Richter Syndrome last April and told that without treatment, I could only expect to live 2 to 12 months.

“I owe this miraculous turnaround to the efforts of everyone at Christie Hospital, to Professor Bloor and his remarkable hematology team, to the dedication and professionalism of the nursing staff on the day care unit in Department 26 and to the unwavering team of specialist nurses who lead the clinical trial program.

“I am also indebted to Dr Heartin and his team at the North Wales Cancer Treatment Center for reacting so quickly and referring me to The Christie when symptoms first appeared at the end of April.

“As a patient with Richter Syndrome, I know that I am very fortunate to have achieved remission and certainly could not have gotten this far without the love and support of my wife Jules and my two sons Dylan and Evan Everyone involved supported me and my passion for music and helped me navigate the often tricky path to getting on stage and staying free from infection, especially when I was. immersed in five cycles of R-Chop chemotherapy.

Peters is now looking for a matching blood stem cell donor so he can undergo a stem cell transplant, a procedure reserved for people with life-threatening illnesses.

“I now need to find the right person for the stem cell transplant,” he says in an NHS press release. “And if it succeeds, and with the incredible help of the Christie team, strive to find a way to heal once and for all.”