Acute lymphocytic leukemia course, symptoms and prognosis

Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a malignant disease and the most common form of leukemia in children. Leukemia is popularly known as blood cancer .

Acute lymphocytic leukemia occurs less frequently in adults, but cannot be ruled out. The disease used to be almost incurable, but thanks to years of research and ever-improving treatment options for this disease, many more cures can be reported today. The diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia is therefore devastating, but no reason to become hopeless.

What is Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia?

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer and is therefore not contagious or transmissible to other people.

Lymphocytes are known as white blood cells and are part of our immune system. They help fight diseases and infections. The disease Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disease of the so-called hematopoietic system of the body and is colloquially known as blood cancer.

Here, the lymphocytes degenerate pathologically and multiply uncontrollably. In healthy people, on the other hand, the proliferation and renewal of these “helper cells” is strictly regulated. A change in the genetic material of a degenerated lymphocyte cell leads to unchecked division and, as a result, proliferation. However, the resulting lymphocytes do not resume their original function.

Due to the rapid spread in the bone marrow, they also impede the formation of healthy lymphocytes. These diseased blood cells spread throughout the body via the bloodstream and cause further damage. If left untreated, (ALL) leads to death.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia symptoms

First things first: The following symptoms can also occur with other, much more harmless diseases. Therefore, symptoms observed in oneself are a reason to see a doctor, but not for panic or headless self-diagnosis. If one or more symptoms come together, a doctor should be consulted in any case.

If there is (self) suspicion of acute lymphatic leukemia and/or the occurrence of the disease in the family or relatives, the attending (family) doctor should receive this information from the patient. Appropriate investigations can be carried out in a targeted manner and, ideally, concerns can be ruled out.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia has symptoms that usually develop within a few weeks. The reason for this is the always low number of healthy blood cells and the infestation of the organs with diseased lymphocytes.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia shows the following symptoms:

• Fatigue, tiredness, listlessness, paleness of the skin, limited performance, shortness of breath. The reason for these symptoms is the resulting anemia, which results in a reduction in the number of red blood cells. This symptom is typical for an acute lymphatic leukemia course.
• Prolonged menstrual bleeding in women, after a visit to the dentist or a blood test at the family doctor and the
• frequent occurrence of bruises as well
• small, punctiform skin hemorrhages (so-called petechiae) occur due to the decrease in platelets.
• A tendency to bleeding is part of the course of acute lymphocytic leukemia and is a characteristic symptom.
• Susceptibility to infection due to the reduction in functional white blood cells
• About a third of patients, mostly children, complain of bone and joint pain. This pain can therefore also be a symptom of acute lymphatic leukemia.

Acute lymphatic leukemia also shows the following symptoms over the course of the disease, which indicate organ involvement:

• swelling of the lymph nodes,
• Enlargement of the spleen (feeling of pressure in the patient’s upper left abdomen),
• enlargement of the liver (sensation of pressure in the upper right abdomen),
• Shortness of breath due to the enlargement of the lymph nodes and thymus gland as well
• Swelling of the veins in the neck area.

The cause of these symptoms is the involvement of the organs of the lymphatic system.

• Neurological changes such as headaches,
• Nerve paralysis or sensitivity disorders due to brain and/or bone marrow involvement are very rare, but cannot be ruled out.

In primary cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia, the involvement of the skin, the breast or the testicles (swelling) is rather rare, but is observed more frequently in recurrences (relapse patients).

• In the mediastinum, the space between the breastbone and the thoracic spine, a tumor can develop in acute lymphatic leukemia and its progression.

Patients with acute lymphatic leukemia also complain of loss of appetite.

Due to the susceptibility to infection, fever is also a common symptom of acute lymphatic leukemia and is typical of the course of the disease.

However, it can also happen that patients show little or no symptoms and are still ill. In these cases, the diagnosis is made during a routine examination.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia course and treatment

Patients with acute lymphatic leukemia are seriously ill. If left untreated, the disease can lead to death within a few weeks. Therefore, prompt initiation of treatment is of the utmost importance.

Chemotherapy is the most important part of treatment in order to curb the progression of the disease and, in the best case, to stop it .

Accompanying therapy options that alleviate the symptoms of acute lymphatic leukemia are an accompanying part of the course of treatment. In individual cases, accompanying radiotherapy or a transplantation with bone marrow is necessary.

The aim of all therapy options is to kill the cancer cells in the blood as completely as possible so that the bone marrow can resume its original function, the formation of healthy blood cells.

If possible, the treatment of acute lymphatic leukemia takes place in a hospital that is familiar with the disease and already has experience in it. The treatment is usually lengthy and extremely stressful and exhausting for the patient and their relatives.

It is therefore important to obtain comprehensive information from the treating physicians about the course and further treatment steps. Self-help groups for those affected and their relatives can serve to exchange information and provide valuable support. Likewise, psycho-oncological offers can be a valuable support that favor the course of treatment.

Prognosis of files lymphocytic leukemia

The prognosis of the files of lymphatic leukemia shows large fluctuations in the different risk groups. The chances of healing and another life free of leukemia are between 10% and well over 50%. In summary, the chances of recovery can generally be said to be 35% to 50% of the cases that occur.

Cure Rate Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Since the healing rate of people suffering from acute lymphocytic leukemia has continued to increase in recent years, we also have to thank the patients for their comprehensive follow-up care.

After successful treatment, this aftercare is of fundamental importance. A comprehensive physical examination at regular intervals is just as important as regular blood and bone marrow examinations.

Long-term consequences of the therapy and signs of a recurrence (recurrence) can be identified and treated in good time. With increasing distance after completion of the acute therapy, the intervals of the follow-up examinations also increase. The treating oncologist also advises those affected about the possibility of rehabilitation or follow-up treatment.

This is usually paid for by health insurance. A rehabilitation measure offers a good transition to finding your way back to normal life after a long period of illness, therapy and aftercare.

Source and literature:

Patient brochure: N. Gökbuget, S. Hehn, A. Wolf: “The acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) of adults”, publishers Leukemia Competence Center, Frankfurt am Main Source: Nicola Gökbuget: ”
Acute lymphocytic leukemia”, Uni-Med Verlag, 1 1st edition, April 2007