Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a type of acute leukemia characterized mainly by the predominance of primitive and naive lymphocytes in the patient’s blood and bone marrow. Currently, acute lymphoblastic leukemia is considered to be a malignant hematologic disorder in which the proliferation of tumorigenic lymphocytes is dysregulated by apoptosis in the bone marrow, resulting in a massive proliferation of tumorigenic lymphocytes.
Based on age differences, acute lymphoblastic leukemia can be divided into two categories: adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia as well as pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. According to the source of tumorigenic lymphocytes, it can be divided into B-cell, T-cell, and mixed cell types. Based on chromosome and gene type, it can be classified as Philadelphia chromosome-positive, Philadelphia chromosome-positive-like, and Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The cause of acute lymphoblastic leukemia is unknown, but it is thought to be related to the following factors: first, genetic mutations, which may occur in the patient’s genes and lead to the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia is based on routine blood tests, bone marrow cytology, bone marrow biopsy, immunohistochemistry, chromosomal and genetic tests, and all disease risk stratification tests, such as a comprehensive test for Philadelphia chromosome-positive-like genes, need to be completed before treatment.