Cost of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia-ALL in India

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is also called acute lymphoblastic leukemia. “Acute” means that the leukemia can progress quickly, and if not treated, would probably be fatal within a few months. "Lymphocytic" means it develops from early (immature) forms of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Acute lymphocytic leukemia starts in the bone marrow. This invades the blood quickly and can spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, central nervous system.

• Bleeding from the gums.
• Bone pain.
• Fever.
• Frequent infections.
• Frequent or severe nosebleeds.
• Lumps caused by swollen lymph nodes in and around the neck, underarm, abdomen or groin.
• Pale skin.
• Shortness of breath.
• Weakness, fatigue or a general decrease in energy.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia grows when a bone marrow cell develops errors in its DNA. The errors force the cell to continue growing and dividing, when a healthy cell would normally stop dividing and eventually die. When this happens, blood cell production becomes abnormal. The bone marrow produces immature cells that develop into leukemic white blood cells called lymphoblasts. These abnormal cells are unable to function properly, and they can build up and crowd out healthy cells.

• Blood tests.
• Bone marrow test.
• Imaging tests.
• Spinal fluid test.

The treatment starts in phases:

1. Induction therapy. It is to kill maximum numbers of the leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow and to restore normal blood cell production.
2. Consolidation therapy. It aims at destroying any remaining leukemia in the body, such as in the brain and spinal cord.
3. Maintenance therapy. It aims at prevention of leukemia cells from regrowing at lower doses over a period of time, sometimes for years.

Preventive treatment to the spinal cord. It is for additional treatment to kill leukemia cells located in the central nerve system. During this, chemotherapy drugs are often injected directly into the fluid that covers the spinal cord.

Treatments may include:

1. Chemotherapy. In this drugs are given to kill cancer cells with injection through veins.
2. Targeted therapy. This is basically for the people with a certain abnormality called the Philadelphia chromosome. So for them this therapy is required to attack cells that contain the abnormality .
3. Radiation therapy. In this high-powered beams, such as X-rays or protons, to kill cancer cells, if the cancer has spread to central nervous system.
4. Bone marrow transplant. Also known as a stem cell transplant. It may be used as consolidation therapy in people at high risk of relapse or for treating relapse when it occurs.

• Previous cancer treatment.
• Exposure to radiation.
• Genetic disorders.
• Having a brother or sister with ALL.

1. High temperature
2. Headache
3. Aching muscles
4. Diarrhoea
5. Tiredness