Morphologic changes in blast cells of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in relapse.
Relapse in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on therapy may be due to development of a resistant clone of blast cells. Seven children who presented initially with the "common"-type, L1 lymphoblast relapsed with a morphologically different and more undifferentiated blast cell. All were male, with a median age of 12 years at initial presentation. One child who relapsed while off therapy was successfully reinduced and remains in hematologic remission on therapy. The remaining 6 children died within 10 months of relapse. Selection of a resistant clone of lymphoblasts by chemotherapy may be responsible for relapse in children with ALL and should be studied in hopes of controlling the disease.
D000293:Adolescent; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis