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Acute lymphocytic leukemia - Symptoms

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of leukemia.

Alternative Names

Acute lymphoblastic (or lymphocytic) leukemia

Symptoms:

The symptoms of ALL may be difficult to recognize. ALL usually begins abruptly and intensely, but in some cases symptoms may develop slowly. They may be present one day, and absent the next, particularly in children. Symptoms develop when:

There are not enough healthy mature white blood cells (leukocytes) to mount a defense against infection.
There are not enough healthy platelets to prevent bleeding.
The depleted oxygen-bearing red blood cells can't provide enough oxygen to organs.

Symptoms include:

Fatigue
Paleness -- patients may have poor coloring from anemia caused by insufficient red blood cells
Recurrent minor infections
Fevers
Bone pain
Bruising -- may result from only slight injury
Poor healing of minor cuts
Uncontrolled bleeding -- bleeding events increase as the bone marrow fails to produce enough platelets to make a normal blood clot, a condition called thrombocytopenia.
Small, red spots on the skin (petechiae)
Vision changes (rare)

Resources

www.leukemia-lymphoma.org -- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
www.cancer.org -- American Cancer Society
www.cancer.gov -- National Cancer Institute
www.bmtnews.org -- Blood and Marrow Transplant Information Network
www.asco.org -- American Society of Clinical Oncology
www.plwc.org -- People Living with Cancer
www.aspho.org -- American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
www.candlelighters.org -- Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation
www.clf4kids.com -- Childhood Leukemia Foundation

References

Belson M, Kingsley B, Holmes A. Risk factors for acute leukemia in children: a review. Environ Health Perspect. 2007 Jan;115(1):138-45. Campbell LK, Scaduto M, Sharp W, et al. A meta-analysis of the neurocognitive sequelae of treatment for childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2007 Jul;49(1):65-73.

Hijiya N, Hudson MM, Lensing S, et al. Cumulative incidence of secondary neoplasms as a first event after childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. JAMA. 2007 Mar 21;297(11):1207-15.

Ribera JM, Ortega JJ, Oriol A, et al. Comparison of intensive chemotherapy, allogeneic, or autologous stem-cell transplantation as postremission treatment for children with very high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia: PETHEMA ALL-93 Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Jan 1;25(1):16-24.

Waber DP, Turek J, Catania L, et al. Neuropsychological outcomes from a randomized trial of triple intrathecal chemotherapy compared with 18 Gy cranial radiation as CNS treatment in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: findings from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium Protocol 95-01. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Nov 1;25(31):4914-21.

Reviewed last on: 1/21/2008
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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