As people advance in age, they become more prone to mutations in blood stem cells that can disrupt the balance of blood cells in the body, which is linked to leukemia. According to a recent Healthcare in Europe article, scientists at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow monitored these changes over a 12 year period to better understand what they mean in the context of developing leukemia as people grow older.
The data was combined with an algorithm to link various mutations with different growth speeds of blood stem cells that carry mutations, to determine leukemia risk. Knowing a person’s risk of developing leukemia allows clinicians to schedule screening appointments with better pacing that hopefully leads to earlier detection and treatment.
