Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case Report

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with the Philadelphia translocation-positive genotype (Ph+) is a high-risk leukemia subtype in older adults, where comorbidity often limits the use of intensive management and complicates clinical decision-making. We present the case of a 77-year-old female with progressive fatigue, dizziness, dyspnea, and palpitations, whose laboratory evaluation revealed symptomatic anemia and circulating blast cells. Peripheral smear and flow cytometry confirmed B-ALL, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated BCR-ABL translocation. Cardiac examination revealed preserved systolic function with valvular disease and pulmonary hypertension, influencing treatment selection. Following a multidisciplinary tumor board discussion, the patient underwent reduced-intensity induction with mini-CVD (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone) combined with dasatinib and central nervous system prophylaxis. Subsequent bone marrow examination demonstrated no morphologic or immunophenotypic evidence of residual leukemia, consistent with morphologic remission. The patient experienced clinical and hematologic improvement and was discharged on continuous tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy with close monitoring. This case highlights the diagnostic workup, multidisciplinary treatment planning, and early therapeutic response in an elderly patient with Ph+ B-ALL while comparing these findings with the current literature.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2026-03-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.105705
Primary Topic
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case Report

Shabnam Yazdanpanah, Amanda Pina, Guillermo Rame, Alberto Gomez Veliz et al.
Cureus
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia research
article

Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case Report

Shabnam Yazdanpanah, Amanda Pina, Guillermo Rame, Alberto Gomez Veliz, Alireza Izadian Bidgoli, Gabriel Saavedra
article en

Abstract

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with the Philadelphia translocation-positive genotype (Ph+) is a high-risk leukemia subtype in older adults, where comorbidity often limits the use of intensive management and complicates clinical decision-making. We present the case of a 77-year-old female with progressive fatigue, dizziness, dyspnea, and palpitations, whose laboratory evaluation revealed symptomatic anemia and circulating blast cells. Peripheral smear and flow cytometry confirmed B-ALL, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated BCR-ABL translocation. Cardiac examination revealed preserved systolic function with valvular disease and pulmonary hypertension, influencing treatment selection. Following a multidisciplinary tumor board discussion, the patient underwent reduced-intensity induction with mini-CVD (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone) combined with dasatinib and central nervous system prophylaxis. Subsequent bone marrow examination demonstrated no morphologic or immunophenotypic evidence of residual leukemia, consistent with morphologic remission. The patient experienced clinical and hematologic improvement and was discharged on continuous tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy with close monitoring. This case highlights the diagnostic workup, multidisciplinary treatment planning, and early therapeutic response in an elderly patient with Ph+ B-ALL while comparing these findings with the current literature.

Cureus
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia research
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