ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA EXAM
PREP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FULL
SOLUTION
●● Where does the clonal proliferation of the lymphoblasts occur in
ALL?
Answer: Bone marrow
Spleen
Liver
Lymph nodes
Brain/spinal cords
Bones
Joints
●● What does 'acute' refer to ?
Answer: -undifferentiated
-immature state
-circulating lymphocytes (BLASTS)
-rapid progression of disease
-Fatal in weeks to months if untreated
●● In what age groups is ALL mostly seen ?
,Answer: 2-10 YO
●● What percent of the cases occur in adults ?
Answer: 20%
●● what percent of adult leukemias is for ALL ?
Answer: 80-85%
●● what is the percentage of ALL in childhood cancers?
Answer: 30%
●● Where is the incidence of ALL higher ?
Answer: higher in advanced countries than developing
●● What race has higher incidence of ALL?
Answer: Whites more than black
●● What is the ratio of incidence between the sexes?
Answer: males are affected more than females by a ratio of 1.4:1
●● What are some possible factors of ALL?
Answer: viruses
,radiation
cytotoxic chemotherapy
benzene
●● What historical act raised the incidence of ALL?
Answer: the atomic bomb during WWII
●● Is there any genetic factor in some cases of ALL ?
Answer: Yes
●● What is a characteristic of the clinical manifestations of ALL?
Answer: sudden occurrence of symptoms
●● what are most symptoms related to ?
Answer: Bone marrow failure and extensive involvement of the BM by
leukemic cells
●● What are the symptoms related to BM failure in ALL?
Answer: malaise
fever
petichiael rash
fatigue
, infection
appearance of blue marks following minor injury
bleeding
●● what are the findings due to extra medullary invasion?
Answer: splenomegaly
hepatomegaly
lymphadenopathy
joint pain
bone pain
●● What is a typical early complaint in children ?
Answer: pain in the joints
inability to walk
●● Why do some children with ALL suffer from the inability to walk ?
Answer: due to the infiltration of the leukemic cells into the bones
●● what is a distinctive feature noted in 70% of the cases with ALL?
Answer: infection of the meninges causing neurologic symptoms like:
-headache
-nausea
PREP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FULL
SOLUTION
●● Where does the clonal proliferation of the lymphoblasts occur in
ALL?
Answer: Bone marrow
Spleen
Liver
Lymph nodes
Brain/spinal cords
Bones
Joints
●● What does 'acute' refer to ?
Answer: -undifferentiated
-immature state
-circulating lymphocytes (BLASTS)
-rapid progression of disease
-Fatal in weeks to months if untreated
●● In what age groups is ALL mostly seen ?
,Answer: 2-10 YO
●● What percent of the cases occur in adults ?
Answer: 20%
●● what percent of adult leukemias is for ALL ?
Answer: 80-85%
●● what is the percentage of ALL in childhood cancers?
Answer: 30%
●● Where is the incidence of ALL higher ?
Answer: higher in advanced countries than developing
●● What race has higher incidence of ALL?
Answer: Whites more than black
●● What is the ratio of incidence between the sexes?
Answer: males are affected more than females by a ratio of 1.4:1
●● What are some possible factors of ALL?
Answer: viruses
,radiation
cytotoxic chemotherapy
benzene
●● What historical act raised the incidence of ALL?
Answer: the atomic bomb during WWII
●● Is there any genetic factor in some cases of ALL ?
Answer: Yes
●● What is a characteristic of the clinical manifestations of ALL?
Answer: sudden occurrence of symptoms
●● what are most symptoms related to ?
Answer: Bone marrow failure and extensive involvement of the BM by
leukemic cells
●● What are the symptoms related to BM failure in ALL?
Answer: malaise
fever
petichiael rash
fatigue
, infection
appearance of blue marks following minor injury
bleeding
●● what are the findings due to extra medullary invasion?
Answer: splenomegaly
hepatomegaly
lymphadenopathy
joint pain
bone pain
●● What is a typical early complaint in children ?
Answer: pain in the joints
inability to walk
●● Why do some children with ALL suffer from the inability to walk ?
Answer: due to the infiltration of the leukemic cells into the bones
●● what is a distinctive feature noted in 70% of the cases with ALL?
Answer: infection of the meninges causing neurologic symptoms like:
-headache
-nausea
