Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rapidly progressing cancer in which immature lymphoid cells multiply in the bone marrow and may spread through the blood to other organs.

Lymphocyte: A white blood cell that participates in adaptive or innate immune defense. ALL develops from immature cells in the lymphocyte lineage.
Complete blood count: A blood test that measures the numbers and types of circulating blood cells. Abnormal counts often prompt evaluation for ALL but cannot establish the diagnosis alone.
Acute myeloid leukemia: A rapidly progressing cancer of immature myeloid blood-forming cells. It is the main acute leukemia counterpart, arising from a different blood-cell lineage.
Anemia: A condition in which blood has too few red cells or insufficient hemoglobin to carry oxygen effectively. Marrow crowding by lymphoblasts can reduce red-cell production and cause anemia.
Relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia: ALL that returns after treatment has produced remission. Relapse remains a major challenge, especially when leukemia resists prior therapies.
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: An ALL subtype arising from immature B-cell precursors. Most childhood ALL cases arise from B-cell precursors.
Flow cytometry: A laboratory method that identifies cells by measuring their physical and molecular features. It distinguishes lymphoblasts from other cells and helps assign ALL lineage.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A usually slow-growing cancer of mature-appearing B lymphocytes. Despite the shared lymphoid lineage, it differs from ALL in cell maturity and typical course.
Thrombocytopenia: An abnormally low number of platelets in the blood. Suppressed platelet production can lead to bruising and bleeding in ALL.
Drug resistance: The ability of cancer cells or microbes to survive exposure to drugs that once controlled them. Therapy-resistant leukemia cells can persist and drive treatment failure or relapse.

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