ACUTE LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA

Course overview

ACUTE LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA (ALL) IS A MALIGNANCY OF B OR T LYMPHOBLASTS CHARACTERIZED BY UNCONTROLLED PROLIFERATION OF ABNORMAL, IMMATURE LYMPHOCYTES AND THEIR PROGENITORS WHICH ULTIMATELY LEADS TO THE REPLACEMENT OF BONE MARROW ELEMENTS AND OTHER LYMPHOID ORGANS RESULTING IN A CHARACTERISTIC DISEASE PATTERN. ALL ACCOUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 PERCENT OF THE LYMPHOID NEOPLASMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND OCCURS SLIGHTLY MORE FREQUENTLY IN MALES THAN FEMALES, AND THREE TIMES AS FREQUENTLY IN CAUCASIANS AS IN AFRICAN-AMERICANS. PATIENTS TYPICALLY PRESENT WITH SYMPTOMS RELATED TO ANEMIA, THROMBOCYTOPENIA, AND NEUTROPENIA DUE TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BONE MARROW WITH THE TUMOR. SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE FATIGUE, EASY OR SPONTANEOUS BRUISING AND/OR BLEEDING, AND INFECTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, B-SYMPTOMS, SUCH AS FEVER, NIGHT SWEATS, AND UNINTENTIONAL WEIGHT LOSS ARE OFTEN PRESENT BUT MAY BE MILD, AND HEPATOMEGALY, SPLENOMEGALY, AND LYMPHADENOPATHY CAN BE SEEN IN UP TO HALF OF ADULTS ON PRESENTATION. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) INVOLVEMENT IS COMMON AND CAN BE ACCOMPANIED BY CRANIAL NEUROPATHIES OR SYMPTOMS, PREDOMINANTLY MENINGEAL, RELATED TO INCREASED INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN ACUTE LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE IT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.