Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a form of cancer that affects the lymphocyte-producing cells in the bone marrow. The leukaemia is termed ‘acute’ because it develops quickly. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that produce antibodies and are vital parts of the body’s immune system.
When a patient develops ALL, there is an accumulation in the bone marrow of immature lymphocyte precursor cells, called blast cells. Eventually the production of normal blood cells is affected by this, resulting in a reduction in the numbers of red cells, normal white cells and platelets in the blood.
ALL is the only form of leukaemia that is more common in children than adults. It is the single most common form of paediatric cancer accounting for about one-third of all cases in children. About 85% of cases of childhood leukaemia are ALL, which occurs in about 400 children in the UK each year. The peak incidence of ALL occurs between the ages of about two and four years. Males are affected more often than females at all ages.
While this type of leukaemia is much more common in children than in adults, some 10% to 20% of new cases are in people over the age of ten years.
The following information relates to adults with ALL.
Symptoms
Many of the symptoms are related to the fact that the leukaemia cells multiply in the bone marrow and stop the production of healthy blood cells. Common symptoms include:
- tiredness
- pallor (pale skin)
- bruising
- fever and infection
- swollen glands
- limb pains.