Online calculator predicts return of rare blood cancer

THE world's first online cancer calculator has been hailed a "game-changer" for people suffering from a rare form of the disease.

- By Chris Riches

E-HIPI, developed by UK and American scientists, accurately predicts if a patient's Hodgkin lymphoma will return within two years.

Around 2,100 British people are each year diagnosed with the blood cancer, which mostly affects those aged 20 to 40 or over 75, but is also the most common type of cancer diagnosed in adolescents.

Professor John Radford, one of the UK's leading lymphoma experts, said: "This is the culmination of two decades of work. We wanted to find a better way to predict the outcome of people with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma following treatment.

"Until now we have lacked a robust tool but we can now forecast how well individual patients are likely to respond to treatment, offering hope for more tailored, effective therapies.