Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It is also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It occurs when the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, increase in the human body. Because it’s acute or aggressive in nature, it spreads fast throughout the body to various organs like the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes. If untreated, the patient can die within a few months.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a more common cancer in children but treatment at the right time can cure the patient completely. But in the case of adults, the chance of curing it completely is very less.
Symptoms
Patients having acute lymphocytic leukemia are more prone to developing infections. They also have increased chances of severe bleeding. Some of the other symptoms which patients can witness are:
- Bleeding gums
- Joint pain
- Pain in the bones
- Purple or red spots on the body, also known as petechiae
- Enlarged spleen
- Enlarged liver
- Enlarged lymph nodes under the arms, in the neck or groin area
- Bleeding in the skin or purpura
- Bruises
- Pale skin
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Short breaths
- Cranial nerve palsies
- Enlargement of testes
Causes
While some of the resources claim that causes behind the acute lymphocytic leukemia are unknown, some claim that the main reason behind the disease is the development of error in DNA of the bone marrow cell. Due to this error, bone marrow cells persist to grow and divide, increasing rapidly. Instead, they should stop their growth and eventually die. Bone marrow or the soft, spongy tissue which is responsible for the production of blood cells starts to produce immature cells, which eventually transform into leukemic WBC’s, also known as lymphoblast. These cells are unable to function properly and accumulate around healthy cells.
Reasons for the DNA mutations are still unknown, but physicians across the globe discovered that the majority of the cases aren’t inherited.
Treatment
Treatment for the disease focuses on bringing back the blood count of the patient to normal.
Physicians around the world employ chemotherapy to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia diseases. The patient is hospitalized for the first few weeks, while he/she can opt for being an outpatient in the subsequent weeks. Patients having a low WBC count are protected from infections and contagious diseases by isolation in a separate room.
Patients who don’t respond to chemotherapy are recommended bone marrow or stem cell transplants from siblings for a complete match.
As soon as the bone marrow of the patient seems to become normal in an inspection under a microscope, the patient is considered to be in a recovery mode.
Disclaimer: The information in no way constitutes, or should be construed as medical advice. Nor is the above article an endorsement of any research findings discussed in the article an endorsement for any of the source publications.
Sources-
- https://www.healthline.com/health/acute-lymphocytic-leukemia-all#risk-factors
- https://www.webmd.com/cancer/lymphoma/qa/what-is-acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia-all
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acute-lymphocytic-leukemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20369077
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