Adult haematology oncology research nurse showcases how clinical trials are making a difference to patients’ lives
A clinical research nurse shared her experiences of how clinical trials are improving the quality of patients’ lives, with a presentation to colleagues.
Womba Mubita, who works in the adult haematology oncology research team, spoke during the haematology department’s weekly education session on Monday 26th September.
She talked about one of the team’s studies comparing the efficacy and safety of a medication given orally, instead of via injection, to patients with myelodysplasia; a syndrome where the bone marrow does not make enough healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and/or platelets. Instead, it makes abnormal cells that are not fully developed and as the condition advances, the bone marrow becomes full of abnormal blood cells, which spill out into the bloodstream.
Patients with myelodysplasia can often feel very tired due to low haemoglobin levels in their blood and this means that they have to undergo regular blood transfusions. Patients also bleed easily due to low platelet counts and can be prone to infections.
Womba said: “It was great to be able to highlight to my clinical colleagues one of the many studies that we currently have here in the haematology oncology research department and for them to learn more about the work that we do.”
Sharing stories like this really showcases the benefits of clinical research and hopefully inspires people to find out more about how they can support research here at CMFT.
“Clinical staff can aid in the recruitment to clinical studies in small ways, such as letting their research team know if they’re seeing a patient who meets trial criteria and in data collection, for example, taking bloods. If anyone would like to find out more about adult haematology oncology research, I would encourage them to get in touch with a member of the team and we’d be more than happy to discuss.”
