Race Against Blood Cancer

Stem cell and bone marrow transplants are now regularly used as a curative treatment for patients with blood cancer, such as lymphoma, myeloma and leukaemia.  However, only one in four people with blood cancer find a matching donor in their family, so many people are reliant on a donation from a stranger.  The chances of finding a donor vary greatly; of the 2,000 people in the UK currently searching for a transplant, only 50% will find a successful match.  Not only that, but if you are a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) blood cancer patient, you have a significantly lower chance of finding a suitably matched donor due to the lack of diversity of the stem cell register.  Then, even if you are lucky enough to find a donor, your chance of finding the best possible match is also considerably reduced in comparison to that of a White Northern European Patient.

Race Against Blood Cancer was set up in 2015 by a group of professionals who were devastated by the news of a close friend’s own blood cancer diagnosis.  The team decided to be pro-active in their approach to the issues surrounding stem cell and bone marrow transplantation; not only for their friend, but for all patients with blood cancer who are currently seeking a match.

Our ultimate goal is to increase the total number of people on the stem cell and bone marrow register, with a particular emphasis on increasing the sign up from minority groups – whether defined by race, ethnicity or gender – who are vastly underrepresented on the donor registry at present.

We have a simple overarching strategy to define our mission:

1. Raise awareness of the issue and improve apathy.
2. Educate people on the process of becoming a donor and demystifying the many myths.
3. Help simplify the sign up process and make this more accessible.