title: Diagnosis and subclassification of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a disseminated malignancy of B- or T-lymphoblasts which imposes a rapid and accurate diagnostic process to support an optimal risk-oriented therapy and thus increase the curability rate. The need for a precise diagnostic algorithm is underlined by the awareness that both ALL therapy and related success rates may vary greatly between ALL subsets, from standard chemotherapy in patients with standard-risk ALL, to allotransplantation (SCT) and targeted therapy in high-risk patients and cases expressing suitable biological targets, respectively. This review summarizes how best to identify ALL and the most relevant ALL subsets.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiaretti
authors.affiliation: Hematology, Catholic University Sacred Heart Policlinico Gemelli, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zini
authors.affiliation: Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Ospedale dell'Angelo e SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Mestre-Venezia, Italy.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bassan