Can Genomic Variations in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Direct Prognosis and Treatment?

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of leukemia in children.ALL occurs when the body produces an extreme number of lymphocytes.The International Consensus Classification (ICC) separates ALL into two separate subcategories, T Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) and B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL).While some patients are able to be cured, for other patients many common treatments do not work and often this failure results in the death of the patient.This review investigates genetic mutations to determine whether genetic variations in ALL can direct prognosis and treatment.This article aims to build on prior work by discussing specific mutations and providing a broader perspective of the topic as well, and emphasizes areas of potential impact for future research.After carefully reviewing genetic mutations commonly found in ALL patients, nine distinct categories were identified which impact the prognosis or treatment of the disease.Some mutation types impacted patient survival rates drastically, while others rendered certain treatments essentially useless.These results are important because by examining genetic rearrangements in ALL in greater depth and using them to direct patient care, countless children and adults will benefit from more effective treatments provided by more knowledgeable clinicians.