Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common leukemia in children (representing 23% of cancer diagnoses among children younger than 15 years of age) but accounts for only 20% of adult acute leukemia. The prognosis for both adult and especially childhood ALL has improved substantially in recent years with the use of risk-directed induction-consolidation-continuation (maintenance) regimens that include central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis. In children, treatment now results in complete remission (CR) rates of 97% to 99% and in 5-year event-free survival rates of 75% to 86% (Pui et al, 2008, 2009). The use of similar treatment . . . [Full Text of this Article]


Classification and diagnosis of ALL
 

Immunophenotyping
 

Cytogenetics
 

Molecular genetics
 

Prognostic factors
 
Clinical prognostic factors
Cytogenetic and molecular genetic prognostic factors
Minimal residual disease detection

Treatment of ALL
 
Supportive care
Treatment of Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia in children and adults
Treatment of precursor B-cell and precursor T-cell ALL in children
Remission induction
Intensification (consolidation) therapy
Maintenance (continuation) therapy
CNS-directed treatment
Stem cell transplantation
Treatment for relapse in children
Targeted therapies
Special subgroups of ALL in children
Treatment of precursor B-cell and T-cell ALL in adults
Induction phase
Consolidation therapy
CNS prophylaxis
Maintenance therapy
Risk-directed treatment of adult ALL
Ph+ ALL
Adolescents and young adults
Allo-SCT in adult ALL in CR1
Relapsed disease
Allo-SCT beyond CR1
Novel therapies

Lymphoblastic lymphoma
 

Late complications of therapy