The etiology of acute leukemia

Abstract

Acute leukemia is characterized by a rapid increase and accumulation of immature hematopoietic cells. The resultant crowding of the bone marrow hinders production of healthy blood cells and the malignant cells spill over into the bloodstream and can spread to other organs of the body. Acute leukemia is usually characterized by unchecked growth of the malignant cells and early death, if left untreated. Leukemic transformation can occur at several different steps along the differentiation pathway; therefore acute leukemia really refers to a heterogeneous collection of diseases. This is an important concept, because more than for almost any other malignancy, the treatment and prognosis for acute leukemia are dictated by the molecular and cytogenetic profile of the patient.