Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Christine J. Harrison, Bertil Johansson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is classified as B-lineage ALL (B-ALL) and T-lineage ALL (T-ALL). The incidence of ALL is almost three times higher in white than black children. Among adults, ALL is more frequent in younger patients, with a median age of less than 30 years. The morphology-immunology-cytogenetics (MIC) subgroups are associated with nonrandom karyotypic abnormalities in a manner comparable to the specificity seen between chromosomal rearrangements and morphologic subgroups in acute myeloid leukemia. Low hyperdiploidy or hypodiploidy with 45 chromosomes and single numerical aberrations are increasingly being found as secondary changes associated with specific structural abnormalities. Cytogenetic analysis plays an integral part in the diagnosis of ALL. The abnormalities differ between B-ALL and T-ALL with different distributions between age groups. In association with these aspects, the diagnostic karyotype is an important prognostic variable. Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a greatly increased risk of developing acute leukemia, including ALL.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCancer Cytogenetics
Subtitle of host publicationChromosomal and Molecular Genetic Aberrations of Tumor Cells
EditorsSverre Heim, Felix Mitelman
PublisherWiley-Blackwell
Pages198-251
Number of pages54
Edition4th
ISBN (Electronic)9781118795569
ISBN (Print)9781118795538
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Hematology

Free keywords

  • Acute myeloid leukemia
  • B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia
  • Cytogenetic analysis
  • Down syndrome
  • Karyotypic abnormalities
  • Low hyperdiploidy
  • T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia

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