Back in the 1970s less than 40 per cent of youngsters (boys 30 per cent, girls 36 per cent) diagnosed with the most common form of this deadly cancer of the bone marrow and white blood cells would survive...a figure which has soared to 80 per cent today.

Dr Shahid Ali, consultant paediatrician at Northampton General Hospital, said: "This was a killer disease 40 years ago but now it is cured in the majority of patients.

He continued: "In the last four years one child has died of leukaemia, from Northampton, so generally we say on reflection that most are cured."

Leukaemia is the most common cancer to affect children and there are two main types; acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) linked to the cells which fight off bacterial infections and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a cancer affecting the cells which battle viral infections.

On average NGH sees four or five patients each year and the majority of these will have ALL, a type of leukaemia which reports the highest survival rates.

But why the upsurge in child leukaemia recovery stories?

Dr Ali commented: "There is not one single factor. Development in treatment through research is one major reason, with the introduction of combination chemo (where more than one drug is used).

"Studies have also shown that survival is better if children are treated in specialist centres on designated research protocols.

" In the past radiotherapy was given to brain and spine to prevent leukaemia going into the brain. This had serious side effects mainly on growth and IQ.

"Today chemotherapy is given, instead, direct by spinal injections, with very successful results.

Most children are cured without any long-term organ damage.

"What we have now is better supportive care, and death from infection is extremely rare as is death from bleeding; this was the biggest cause of death in the 1960s when they had no transfusions.

"Many specialist cancer centres have now been developed, the first was Royal Marsden in London.

Northampton is one of the very few district general hospitals in the country that provide treatment to children with cancer.

We do it as shared care with Birmingham Children's Hospital."

But specialists are keenly aware that there is work still to be done in the treatment of leukaemia. Northampton has been a registered centre for leukaemia research trials for the last 20 years.

Dr Ali said: "What we are stuck with is that 20 per cent.

We keep saying that, with ALL, 80 per cent are cured, but why are we still losing children to leukaemia?"

A major focus for the current research trial is how to adjust the amount of chemotherapy given to a child patient according to the severity of the leukaemia.

Dr Ali said: "In the past we were giving more and more chemo to children, but now we are trying to identify a group of children who have low-risk disease so they can have less chemo and have less side effects in the end."

He explained that those with high-risk leukaemia are deemed to have greater chances of relapse, so more treatment is given.

The aim of these trials is not only to cut the number of patients who have relapses, but also to prevent unnecessary chemotherapy being given to youngsters who do not need it.

The side effects of chemotherapy on a patient can be severe, with some youngsters being left with organ damage or the possibility of future fertility problems.

Dr Ali said the results of the current trial are not expected to be revealed for another two to three years but so far there have been no "detrimental" effects.

"We are probably not expecting a big change but the results might go up from 80 to 85 per cent.

I suppose the question is whether we can get away with less chemo for children with less risk.

"You want a child who is cured of leukaemia to come away with minimal organ damage or no organ damage.
We don't want to cure a child who then has a broken heart or damaged liver."

Although there is still work to be done in the treatment of child leukaemia, the outcome for treatment in young people under the age of 15 is still much better than in cases of adults with the disease.

Dr Ali said: "Unfortunately the figures with adult cancer are much worse, 25 to 40 per cent survive with leukaemia.

"Children's cancers in general are coming from developing cells which, for some reason, are more treatable."

Research work still continues today into the possible causes of leukaemia.

The friendship forged by fighting cancer
Good friends are supposed to see each other through troubles, but Bethan Ayliff and Liam Taylor have seen each other through more than most.

Bethan, aged six, and Liam, aged eight – both from East Hunsbury – were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and endured years of chemotherapy to wipe out the condition.

Now the ordeal is behind them, the youngsters are in recovery but have not forgotten the plight of other children with the condition.

They are currently preparing to take part in the 2K Junior Bananaman Chase fun run next month in Milton Keynes to raise money for Leukaemia Research.

Bethan's mother 32-year-old Andrea admitted that, when her daughter was first diagnosed, she knew little about the disease.

She remembered: "It was 2006 when she was diagnosed, she kept getting ill and being very tired, every week she had something. Then they agreed to take a blood test."

Then followed two years of treatment, including chemotherapy and oral medication.

Miss Ayliff now takes part in a parent group, offering support to families who are going through similar experiences.

She said: "Every time something happened with Bethan, I would see Liam's mum Karen because she had been through it all and could help me."

Between them Miss Ayliff and Mrs Taylor have participated in fundraising events ranging from bikeathons to marathons and coffee mornings, raising thousands of pounds for leukaemia charities; because they understand that ongoing research into the condition is important.

Health care assistant Miss Ayliff said: "We were always told if it had been 40 years ago there would have been a 30 per cent chance of survival but now it is 80 per cent.

They made it clear that the treatment Bethan was having was built on research.

"It is very important to continue this research. The survival rate is 80 per cent, but getting to 100 per cent would be great."

Bethan had her final treatment earlier this year and is now recovering well.

Miss Ayliff said: "She is fine now, she is so much stronger. It can take six months for everything to get out of the system but she seems quite well.

"She is starting swimming lessons and she loves to swim. She couldn't do that before as she had a line in her chest through having chemo. She also goes to Rainbows now.
"When you first are told, you think that is the end, but you do learn to cope with it and carry on as normally as you can."

The friendship forged by fighting cancer
Mrs Taylor's son Liam endured a three-year cycle of treatments, following his diagnosis in December 2003.

Mrs Taylor said: "We were told the news on Boxing Day and it was a bit like the unknown really because it is something which is not familiar to you.

"They gave us a lot of information, but at the time you can't take it in."

Liam received therapy at Birmingham Children's Hospital as well as Northampton General Hospital and was among those to take part in the national treatment trials.

Mrs Taylor said: "At the end of the day, if they don't do the trials, they won't be able to find out what works in the future."

Anyone who would like to sponsor Bethan and her brother Jamie in next month's run can log onto www.justgiving.com/jamieandbethan.

Liam's sponsorship page can be found at www.justgiving.com/liam_taylor