ALL is a malignant clonal disease that develops when a lymphoid progenitor cell becomes genetically altered through somatic changes and undergoes uncontrolled proliferation. This eventually leads to ALL, characterised by early lymphoid precursors replacing the normal haematopoietic cells of the bone marrow and further infiltrating various body organs.
ALL has a bimodal distribution typically affecting children under 6 years of age and adults over 80.
Any children presenting in GP with bruising, enlarged lymph nodes and systemic illness should be referred for specialist assessment.
Lymphadenopathy is the most common sign in ALL.
Other symptoms which may be present include: hepatosplenomegaly, pallor or petechiae, fever, fatigue, dizziness, weakness, and epistaxis.
Three core signs of ALL:
ALL is diagnosed definitively through bone marrow biopsy.