Acute lymphoblastic leukemia overview
|
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia Microchapters |
|
Differentiating Acute lymphoblastic leukemia from other Diseases |
|---|
|
Diagnosis |
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia overview On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Acute lymphoblastic leukemia overview |
|
Directions to Hospitals Treating Acute lymphoblastic leukemia |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Acute lymphoblastic leukemia overview |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S. [2]
Overview
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a form of leukemia, or cancer of the white blood cells. Acute refers to the undifferentiated, immature state of the circulating lymphocytes ("blasts") and to the rapid progression of disease, which can be fatal in weeks to months if left untreated. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia may be classified according to the French-American-British (FAB) classification and World Health Organization (WHO). The French-American-British (FAB) classification is divided into 3 groups: ALL-L1: small uniform cells, ALL-L2: large varied cells, ALL-L3: large varied cells with vacuoles (bubble-like features). World Health Organization (WHO) classification is divided into 3 groups: B lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma, B lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (Not organ specific), B lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma with recurrent genetic abnormalities. Generally cancer is caused by damage to DNA that leads to uncontrolled cellular growth causing the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Genetic mutations involved in the pathogenesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia are related with chromosomal translocations. Genes involved in the pathogenesis of acute limphoblastic leukemia include t(9;22)(q34;q11.2) BCR-ABL1, t(v;11q23);, t(12;21)(p13;q22) TEL-AML1, t(5;14)(q31;q32)IL3-IGH and t(1;19)(q23;p13.3) TCF3-PBX1. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia must be differentiated from other diseases such as acute myelogenous leukemia, hairy cell leukemia and malignant lymphoma. In 2011, the incidence of acute lymphocytic leukemia was estimated to be 1.77 cases per 100,000 individuals and the prevalence of 17.4 per 100,000 individuals in the United States. In 2015 according with the National cancer institute the incidence of acute lymphocytic leukemia is 1.9 per 100,000 individuals and the case fatality rate of 2.3 per 100,000 individuals in the United States. Males are more commonly affected with acute lymphoblastic leukemia than females. Common risk factors in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia are down syndrome, ataxia telangiectasia, bloom syndrome, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, fanconi's anemia and severe combined immunodeficiency.