ACUTE LEUKEMIA

Question 0

Risk factors for acute leukemia?

Answer 0

Oncogenic virus
- EBV

Ionizing radiation
Chemotherapy e.g. Etoposide
Toxins e.g. Kerosene, tobacco

Question 1

What is ALL? Who does it affect? Cure rate?

Answer 1

Malignancy of lymphoid cells affecting B/T lineage.

Affects 3 year old. Commonest childhood cancer. Can affect older adults.

80% cure rate for children

Question 2

Signs and symptoms?

Answer 2

Rapid onset usually weeks

BM failure

• RBC: anaemia -> SOB, fatigue, increased CVS workload
• WBC: neutropenia -> infection
• platelet: thrombocytopenia -> bleeding, bruising

Infiltration (ALL more so than AML)

• organomegaly: lymph node, liver, spleen, thymus
• bone pain
• meningitis -> headache, N+V
• TESTICULAR ENLARGEMENT in ALL

Question 3

Investigations?

Answer 3

CBE EUC LFT CRP
BM biopsy
- hyper cellular with increased blast cells
- cytogenetics: abnormality in chromosome number or structure
- immunephenotyping: antibodies that react to antigens found on blasts
LP - CNS involvement
Tumour lysis syndrome -> uric acid, PO43