Blood cancers — leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma — collectively affect approximately 16,000 Australians each year. They are the most common cancer in children and young adults, and myeloma is the most diagnosed blood cancer overall. Research advances have transformed outcomes for many blood cancer patients over the past two decades, but treatment remains intensive, expensive, and for some cancers, not yet curative. Grant funding supports the research, clinical trials, patient support, and advocacy that continue to improve outcomes.
The major blood cancers
Scale
Survival rates and disparities
Outcomes vary significantly by cancer type:
- Childhood ALL: >90% survival (a transformation from the 1960s when it was almost always fatal)
- Hodgkin lymphoma: >85% survival
- CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukaemia): highly variable — watch-and-wait to aggressive
- AML (acute myeloid leukaemia): approximately 27% survival (one of the hardest to treat)
- Myeloma: improving but not yet curable — median survival now 5-7 years
NHMRC
Competitive grants for haematological malignancy research — leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma all funded.
Cancer Australia
Blood cancer included in Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research grants.
Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)
Clinical trials, precision medicine, and gene therapy for blood cancers.
PBAC (Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee)
Drug approvals that determine PBS subsidisation — critical for blood cancer patients where new treatments can cost $100,000+ without subsidy.
Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide
Australia contributes to the global bone marrow registry — funded through a combination of government and philanthropy.
Leukaemia Foundation
Australia's peak blood cancer charity:
- Research grants and fellowship funding
- Patient support (accommodation, financial assistance, transport)
- Clinical trials support
- Blood cancer nurse programme
- Awareness and advocacy
Lymphoma Australia
Lymphoma-specific patient support, research advocacy, and information.
Myeloma Australia
Patient advocacy, support, and research funding for myeloma.
Maddie Riewoldt's Vision
Bone marrow failure disease research — established after AFL player Nick Riewoldt's sister Maddie died of aplastic anaemia.
Will Sanderson Foundation
AML research and patient support (established in memory of Will Sanderson who died of AML).
Cancer Council (state)
Practical support for blood cancer patients and research funding.
Research
Clinical trials
Blood cancers have active clinical trials pipelines:
- Phase I/II/III trials for new agents
- Combination therapy trials
- Registry studies
- Biobanking for future research
Patient support
Blood cancer treatment is intensive — often months of hospital-based chemotherapy or transplant:
- Leukaemia Foundation accommodation (free accommodation near treatment centres)
- Financial assistance
- Blood cancer nurses (specialist support through treatment)
- Post-transplant support
- Isolation support (immunosuppressed patients have significant social limitations)
Childhood blood cancer
ALL (childhood leukaemia) is the most common childhood cancer:
- Hospital play therapy
- Educational support during treatment
- Sibling support
- Post-treatment cognitive effects (late effects of chemotherapy)
- Family support
Bone marrow donor registry
Bone marrow and stem cell donation:
- Registry recruitment (particularly for diverse ethnic groups who are underrepresented)
- Donor information and testing
- International matching
Older adults with blood cancer
Many blood cancers disproportionately affect older adults:
- Treatment tolerance issues (intensive chemotherapy harder for older patients)
- Geriatric oncology integration
- Palliative care integration
CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy is one of the most significant advances in blood cancer treatment — and Australia is a world leader in its research and clinical delivery:
- Available at selected Australian centres
- Transformative for some relapsed/refractory leukaemias and lymphomas
- Expensive ($500,000+ per treatment) — access equity is a major issue
- Research to expand CAR-T to more blood cancer types is a funding priority
CAR-T and next-generation immunotherapy
Australia's leadership in CAR-T is a compelling funding proposition — philanthropic investment has directly contributed to treatments now available to patients globally and in Australia.
AML: the underserved blood cancer
Acute myeloid leukaemia has among the worst outcomes of any leukaemia — and receives less research funding than its mortality burden warrants. Applications focused on AML have a strong equity argument.
Childhood ALL legacy and late effects
The transformation of childhood ALL from near-fatal to >90% survival is one of medicine's great achievements — but survivors face significant late effects (cognitive, cardiac, hormonal). Support for long-term survivors and research into late effects is a growing priority.
Bone marrow donor diversity
The bone marrow registry needs donors from diverse ethnic backgrounds to serve all patients — recruitment in CALD communities is an underserved area.
Tahua's grants management platform supports blood cancer funders and haematology research organisations — with clinical trial tracking, patient support programme management, research grant administration, and the reporting tools that help blood cancer funders demonstrate their investment in transforming outcomes for leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma patients.