Innovations in Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Genomic Medicine and State-of-the-Art Treatment Approaches in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

Innovative advancements in the twenty-first-century technologies have revealed new genetic, immunological, and cellular biological mechanisms that contribute to understanding the biology and pathogenesis of pediatric as well as adulthood diseases. These advancements have sparked a significant revolution in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of different cancers including hematological malignancies, particularly leukemia. Numerous molecular genetic assays have been developed to select optimal drugs and clinical protocols for leukemia patients. This personalized approach to treatment aims to achieve better clinical outcomes with reduced drug side effects. Genomic medicine has made basic genetic testing necessary for every clinic and hospital. This book provides an account of classical and novel developments in pediatric acute lym-phoblastic leukemia (ALL) as most common childhood malignancy, that have resulted from state-of-the-art genetic, cell biological, and immunological research during the last three decades. Moreover, it also provides deep insights into the innovation in differential diagnosis, risk stratification, patient-tailored treatment, and accurate therapeutic follow-up for timely therapeutic interventions in the recent era of modern science and technology innovations of the twenty-first century that has fascinatingly improved clinical outcome of this deadly disease of the childhood.