Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

1 in 1,000 children will be diagnosed with some form of leukemia by the age of 19 years. It is more common in children under the age of 10 years. Leukemia (all types) accounts for approximately 35% of all childhood cancers. 2,500 cases of leukemia are diagnosed per year in the United States.

90-98% of children with newly diagnosed (ALL) attain an initial complete remission (an absence of leukemic cells in four to six weeks).
At least 80% of children are cured. If the child does not have a relapse within three years after therapy is stopped, the likelihood of continued disease-free survival is excellent.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood cancer. It affects lymphocytes, a class of white blood cells. Leukemic cells accumulate in the bone marrow, replace normal blood cells and spread to the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, central nervous system, kidneys and gonads.

Treatment involves chemotherapy until complete remission is achieved. Additional drugs are used to kill any surviving malignant cells. All chemotherapy is stopped after two to three years of treatment. Bone marrow transplantation is an option for very high-risk cases or following relapse.
Research aims to improve treatment outcome by optimizing dosage and scheduling of antileukemic agents based on individual patient's genetic and pharmacologic characteristics.