Hematologic Malignancies Program

Patient and Family Education

Adult Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The American Cancer Society estimates that 5,430 new cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States in 2008. Adult acute lymphocytic leukemia is often difficult to diagnose. The early signs may be similar to the flu or other common diseases. A person with the following signs or symptoms that won’t go away should see a doctor:

fever
weakness or tiredness
aching in the bones or joints
swollen lymph nodes

The doctor may order blood tests to count the number of each of the different kinds of blood cells. If the results of the blood tests are not normal, a doctor may do a bone marrow biopsy. During this test, a needle is inserted into a bone and a small amount of bone marrow is taken out and looked at under the microscope.

A doctor may also do a spinal tap in which a needle is inserted through the back to take a sample of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spine. The fluid is then examined under a microscope to see if leukemia cells are present. A doctor can then tell what kind of leukemia is present and plan the best treatment.

The chance of recovery (prognosis) from acute lymphocytic leukemia depends on how the leukemia cells look under a microscope, how far the leukemia has spread, and the patient’s age and general health.

This page was last updated on: October 7, 2009.