About Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia:
- Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or acute lymphocytic leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects the white blood cells and bone marrow.
- It is a fast-growing cancer. It is the most common type of paediatric cancer.
- Symptoms: Bleeding from the gums, Bone pain, Fever, Frequent infections and Frequent or severe nosebleeds etc.
- Causes: It occurs when a bone marrow cell develops changes (mutations) in its genetic material or DNA.
- Types of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia: The World Health Organization classifies acute lymphoblastic leukemia into two main groups:
- B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma: Starts in immature cells that ordinarily develop into B-cell lymphocytes. B-cell ALL is the most common subtype.
- T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia: Starts in immature cells that ordinarily develop into T-cell lymphocytes. T-cell ALL is less common.
- Treatment: It may include chemotherapy or targeted drugs that specifically kill cancer cells.
