Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

A type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects white blood cells.

Overview

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common childhood cancer. It occurs when a bone marrow cell has changes in its DNA.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include swollen lymph nodes, bruising, fever and bone pain. Others may include bleeding from the gums and frequent infections.

Treatments

Treatments may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted medicines that kill cancer cells. Others may include CAR-T cell therapy and bone marrow transplants, also called stem cell transplants.