What is acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

Although acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a rare type of blood cancer, it is the most common form of leukemia in children. It also affects adults, who comprise 4 out of every 10 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Causes & symptoms

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia occurs because of damage (mutations) in the genetic material (DNA) of a cell. The cause of most cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia is unknown; however, certain risk factors may increase the risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Diagnosis

Getting a diagnosis is important, as it tells doctors if a patient has acute lymphoblastic leukemia rather than another condition. If an acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis is made, it can be used to predict how quickly the disease might progress and how it may respond to certain treatments.

Types

The World Health Organization (WHO) classification system is the most commonly used method to distinguish acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes.

What can patients expect when joining a clinical trial?

Know ALL was pleased to speak with Lizzie Dean, a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and patient ambassador for Know AML, and Hayley Ellis, senior hematology research nurse, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK. They discussed: “What can patients expect when joining a clinical trial?”

Know ALL webinar | Q&A session

Know ALL hosted a webinar for patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) on September 22, 2025, titled ‘Immunotherapy for the treatment of ALL: What you need to know’, in which a panel of patients with experience of ALL and healthcare professionals, including Jaymz Goodman, Charles Mullighan, Wendy Stock, and Jess Olson, discussed immunotherapy for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Know ALL webinar | Patient voice: Lived experience with immunotherapies, and insights for better patient care

Know ALL hosted a webinar for patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) on September 22, 2025, titled ‘Immunotherapy for the treatment of ALL: What you need to know’, in which Jaymz Goodman, Charles Mullighan, Wendy Stock, and Jess Olson discussed immunotherapy for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Know ALL webinar | What immunotherapies are available for the treatment of ALL?

Know ALL hosted a webinar for patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) on September 22, 2025, titled ‘Immunotherapy for the treatment of ALL: What you need to know’, in which Jaymz Goodman, Charles Mullighan, Wendy Stock, and Jessica Olson discussed immunotherapy for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Brooke's story

Brooke discusses her story with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Jaymz's story

Jaymz discusses his story with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Jess's story

Jess discusses her story with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Joanne's story

Joanne Stobart shares her experience with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.