Personalized treatment for older adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Know ALL hosted a webinar on September 30, 2026, titled ‘Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in older adults: A conversation about personalized treatment, wellbeing, and support’. Here we share a presentation by Nicola Gökbuget, a physician at University Hospital Frankfurt, DE, discussing personalized treatment for older adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Dr Gökbuget starts the session by providing an overview of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the different subtypes (Figure 1).¹

Figure 1. Subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia*

*Data from Blood Cancer United,¹ Leukaemia Care,² and Know ALL.³

Dr Gökbuget explains how the type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and any changes in genes or DNA mutations of a patient’s leukemia cells can help guide treatment decisions. She also discusses other factors that influence treatment choices for older adults (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Factors, other than acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtype and genetic features, that physicians make take into account when considering the most appropriate treatment for a patient*

*Data from Blood Cancer United,¹ Cancer Research UK,⁴and Know ALL.⁵

Dr Gökbuget also highlights that:¹

Treatment should involve a specialist center with experience in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, where a range of treatment options and clinical trials can be considered.
Treatment options for older adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia are continuing to improve, with more treatments now being studied and used in some settings.
Targeted treatments, such as immunotherapies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and antibody-based treatments, may provide more options for people with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the future.

This educational resource is independently supported by Amgen. All content is developed by SES in collaboration with an expert ambassador group. Funders are allowed no influence.

References

Blood Cancer United. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults. https://llsorg.widen.net/view/pdf/81xfne2zxg/en-booklet-adult-acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia-ps33.pdf?t.download=true&u=swuzoq. Revised 2026. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
Leukaemia Care. About acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. https://www.leukaemiacare.org.uk/about-leukaemia/types/acute-lymphoblastic-leukaemia-all/about-acute-lymphoblastic-leukaemia/. Updated Jun 2026. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
Know ALL. Types. https://know-alleukemia.com/understanding-all/types. Updated Mar 18, 2026. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
Cancer Research UK. Treatment options for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/acute-lymphoblastic-leukaemia-all/treatment/decisions. Revised Aug 5, 2024. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.
Know ALL. Treatment. https://know-alleukemia.com/understanding-all/treatment. Updated Mar 18, 2026. Accessed Oct 23, 2026.