 | Incidence | | | 4 /100 000/year |
 | UK Incidence | | | 450 /year |
 | Median age | | | 3-7 years |
 | M:F ratio | | | >1 |
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|  |  | Disease Name; | Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
 | Synonyms; | Childhood ALL, Childhood B-cell acute lymphoid leukaemia
 | Description; |
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a form of cancer that affects the lymphocyte producing cells in the bone marrow. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that produce antibodies and are vital parts of the body's immune system. Lymphocytes can be classified into subgroups according to their function - the main groups are B- and T-cells. In ALL there is an accumulation of immature lymphocyte precursor cells, called blast cells, in the bone marrow.
Last updated 22/02/2010 |