title: Adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a new "age".
abstract: Adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a higher incidence of T-cell immunophenotype, a higher incidence of Philadelphia chromosome positive ALL, a lower incidence of high hyperdiploidy and TEL-AML1 translocation, and a lower incidence of extramedullary bulk disease compared to younger patients. There appears to be little difference between 10-15 and 16-21 year old patients. Adolescents with ALL have a lower event free survival (EFS) compared to younger patients. Adolescents 16-21 years of age treated on pediatric ALL trials have a significantly better EFS than those treated on adult trials. Pediatric treatment protocols utilize more vincristine, steroid and L-asparaginase compared to adult trials. In a recently completed Children's Cancer Group trial, adolescents 16-21 years of age had a four-year EFS of 73.1%. Avascular necrosis of bone is an important complication of therapy in adolescents with ALL.
authors.affiliation: Pritzger School of Medicine, University of Chicago, USA.
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Nachman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014178:Translocation, Genetic