What is Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia?
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Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is an acquired genetic injury that occurs when malignant white blood cells multiply and become overproduced in the bone marrow. When the cells multiply ALL develops and eventually cause the deterioration of the body, potentially leading to death, by spreading to other organs.
This particular form of cancer is most common in children and young adults and the effects can vary depending upon the age of the victim and the time of the diagnosis. Acute lymphocytic leukemia can peak in children between the ages of four and five and another peak was recently discovered in the elderly.
Living with ALL
Acute lymphocytic leukemia places a burden on patients financially, emotionally and physically. Some of the most prevalent effects of ALL are the inhibition of the production of normal cells (which results in insufficient white and red blood cells from entering the bloodstream), and the unstoppable accumulation & growth of cells also known as lymphoblasts.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia may include the following symptoms:
*Painful joints
*Breathlessness
*Persistent infections
*Easy bleeding and slow healing of wounds
The Illness and its Diagnosis
Acute lymphocytic leukemia’s symptoms are so common, which is the reason why the first steps of a patient’s diagnosis begins with a physical examination and carefully getting the patient’s medical history. In the course of the diagnosis, generally the patient’s case is worse when the white blood cell count is higher.
In 90 percent of cases, blast cells are found through a blood smear and a bone marrow biopsy has also proven to be an effective way of determining whether or not someone has been inflicted with acute lymphocytic leukemia.
Treatment of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for this disease varying in length and number of drugs involved. Clinical trials are another often used option that allow doctors to continue to learn about and improve treatments for ALL.
However, treatments are not the same every time. To be able to treat children afflicted with the illness, a combination of drug formulations will be used and will be administered over a specified period of time, which often lasts from two to three years. This extended period of treatment for children with acute lymphocytic leukemia calls for physicians with high levels of expertise in the treatment of cancer.
