Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia—also referred to as acute lymphocytic leukemia or acute lymphoid leukemia—is a type of blood cancer that starts in the inner part of the bones, known as bone marrow, but often moves quickly into the blood. There are many different subtypes of ALL.
  
  
• In a healthy person, bone marrow makes blood stem cells that mature into infection-fighting white blood cells, oxygen-carrying red blood cells and blood-clotting platelets. When a person has ALL, the marrow makes too many immature white blood cells, called lymphoblasts, which never turn into mature white blood cells. When too many lymphoblasts grow in the marrow, the growth of red blood cells, other white blood cells and platelets decreases, leading to anemia, bruising and frequent infections.
  
  
• ALL is the most common type of cancer in children in developed countries. People between the ages of 25 and 50 face the lowest risk of getting the disease, but risk increases after age 50.

Transplant – Led by Nobel Prize recipient Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, Hutchinson Cancer researchers have transformed bone marrow transplantation into standard treatment for leukemia and other blood cancers. The procedure is widely recognized as one of the greatest achievements in cancer treatment that has saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients. Learn more »

Infants – Dr. Jean Sanders reported achieving an unprecedented 76 percent disease-free survival rate after treating infants with ALL in first remission by using total-body irradiation, followed by a bone marrow transplant. Sanders’ study shows that contrary to popular medical opinion, infants with ALL did not suffer long-term side effects to their health from radiation therapy. The findings make this powerful treatment option available to patients. Learn more »

Children – Research by Dr. Ann Woolfrey and colleagues has shown that children with ALL can successfully receive bone marrow transplants from tissue-matched but unrelated donors. The study, whose results were most encouraging in younger children, indicated that doctors can be more aggressive in recommending bone marrow transplants for children with ALL who don't have a tissue-matched relative to donate bone marrow.  Learn more »

Side effects – A large study published by Hutchinson Center researchers found that survivors of childhood ALL have an increased chance of being significantly shorter in height as adults, as compared with their siblings. Although that effect may be largely cosmetic, researchers are also working to understand how the long-term effects of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can affect one's risk for obesity, early death from cardiovascular disease, and developing a second cancer. Learn more »

Immunotherapy – Dr. Stanley Riddell and colleagues are investigating how the body’s own infection-fighting T-cells can be used to fight a variety of cancers. The approach, commonly known as immunotherapy, holds promise for treating several types of cancer, including chemotherapy-resistant ALL in children. Learn more »

Mental function – Research by Dr. Karen Syrjala shows that the decline in mental skills experienced by many bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients is largely temporary. Patients who experience these symptoms can expect a return to normal cognitive functions within a year of their transplant, according to Syrjala’s 2004 study. More recent research shows that mental conditions continue to improve after one year. Learn more »

10-year health – A study by Dr. Syrjala shows that after 10 years survivors of stem cell transplants for blood cancers are nearly as healthy as people who didn’t undergo the procedure. Both populations had similar rates of asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and osteoporosis. In addition, they also had similar psychological health, marital satisfaction and employment. Learn more »