COLUMBUS, Ohio - Doctors and researchers at Columbus' James Cancer Hospital made a recent breakthrough in the battle against leukemia.

Dr. John Byrd and his researchers found some patients inherit a risk for a common form of leukemia called CLL. It comes from a faulty gene that if turned off, leukemia can develop, 10TV's Andrea Cambern reported. The way the process works may point the way for new treatments.

"They keep finding little pieces of the puzzle, and I think this is a big piece," said leukemia patient Doug Smith.

Doctors diagnosed Smith with CLL three years ago.

"Every morning I would wake up and in the beginning the illness was right in front of my face," Doug Smith said.

Smith said he has done well with therapy and changed his priorities. In addition to working, he now teaches college classes on happiness, Cambern reported.

"How do you live a life that's fulfilling, meaningful, enjoyable, and that kind of thing? So the illness has opened up a lot of windows," Smith said.

Some of the money for Dr. Byrd's research was raised by the local Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It sees his work as an inspiration to do more, Cambern reported.

"You see a breakthrough like this and it's like OK, this is possible, let's keep pushing for this," said Patrick Dyer of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Because of breakthroughs like this, the society is hopeful it can reach it's goals of a cure for all blood cancers by the year 2015, Cambern reported.

There are many ways to get involved, including the society's Team in Training program. Click here to visit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Web site for more information.

Reported by Andrea Cambern