What is acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

Although acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a rare type of blood cancer, it is the most common form of leukemia in children. It also affects adults, who comprise 4 out of every 10 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Causes & symptoms

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia occurs because of damage (mutations) in the genetic material (DNA) of a cell. The cause of most cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia is unknown; however, certain risk factors may increase the risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Diagnosis

Getting a diagnosis is important, as it tells doctors if a patient has acute lymphoblastic leukemia rather than another condition. If an acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis is made, it can be used to predict how quickly the disease might progress and how it may respond to certain treatments.

Types

The World Health Organization (WHO) classification system is the most commonly used method to distinguish acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes.

Treatment

There are several treatments that patients might receive for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Because the disease can progress very quickly, treatment usually begins soon after diagnosis.

Prognosis

A prognosis is a description of the overall outlook or forecast of your disease. It may include positive or negative predictions about things like symptoms, recovery, and treatment needs.

Remission

Remission is achieved when leukemic cells are no longer detectable in a patient’s bone marrow. This is the goal of treatment. Usually, when a patient is in remission, the signs and symptoms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia are gone.

Relapse

When patients who have been treated for their acute lymphoblastic leukemia achieve remission but later show a new increase in the number of leukemic cells in their body, they are said to have relapsed.