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Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Also called: ALL, Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It starts in bone marrow cells that become lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. In ALL, the bone marrow makes too many abnormal lymphocytes that cannot fight infection well and crowd out healthy blood cells.

Symptoms

  • Weakness or feeling tired
  • Fever or night sweats
  • Easy bruising or bleeding
  • Petechiae (tiny red dots under the skin caused by bleeding)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Weight loss or loss of appetite
  • Pain in the bones or stomach
  • Pain or feeling of fullness below the ribs
  • Swollen lymph nodes (painless lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin)
  • Having had many infections

Causes

ALL happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown.

Diagnosis

Your health care provider may use many tools to diagnose ALL: a physical exam, a medical history, blood tests (such as complete blood count with differential, blood chemistry tests, and blood smear), bone marrow tests (aspiration and biopsy), genetic tests, and if diagnosed, additional tests to see if the cancer has spread (imaging tests and lumbar puncture).

Treatment

Treatment is usually done in two phases: the first phase aims to kill leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow to achieve remission; the second phase (post-remission therapy) aims to prevent relapse by killing any remaining leukemia cells.

Medications

  • Chemotherapy
  • Targeted therapy (drugs that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells)

Frequently asked questions

What is acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)?

ALL is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It starts in bone marrow cells that become lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. The bone marrow makes too many abnormal lymphocytes that cannot fight infection well and crowd out healthy cells.

What causes ALL?

ALL happens when there are changes in the genetic material (DNA) in bone marrow cells. The cause of these genetic changes is unknown.

Who is at risk for ALL?

Risk factors include being male, being white, being over age 70, having had chemotherapy or radiation therapy, being exposed to high levels of radiation, and having certain genetic disorders such as Down syndrome.

What are the symptoms of ALL?

Symptoms include weakness or tiredness, fever or night sweats, easy bruising or bleeding, tiny red dots under the skin (petechiae), shortness of breath, weight loss, bone or stomach pain, feeling of fullness below the ribs, swollen lymph nodes, and frequent infections.

How is ALL treated?

Treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy with stem cell transplant, and targeted therapy. Treatment is usually done in two phases: first to achieve remission, then post-remission therapy to prevent relapse. Central nervous system prophylaxis therapy is also often given.

Related conditions

Sources

Last updated . Information is aggregated from official public sources and is not a substitute for professional medical care.