Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Survival Rates Explained

Medically Reviewed By Julie Scott, DNP, ANP-BC, AOCNP

Survival rates for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) continue to improve over time. Factors that affect the outlook for ALL include age, white blood cell counts, and response to treatment. While cancer in childhood and adolescents is rare, ALL is the most common cancer in people younger than the age of 15. The outlook for ALL depends on various factors and is individual to each person.

Read on to learn more about the survival rates for ALL.

What are the survival rates for ALL?

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The last several decades have seen an improvement Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source in overall survival rates of ALL.

The relative survival rate suggests how long someone with a condition may live after their diagnosis compared with someone without the condition of the same race, sex, and age over a specific time. This is different from overall survival rate, which is a percentage of people still alive for a specific time after diagnosis of a condition.

It is most important to remember that figures are estimates, and everyone is different. Talk with your doctor about your specific condition. 

The National Cancer Institute Trusted Source National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program Governmental authority Go to source states an average 5-year relative survival rate of 70.8%. 

The institute estimated 6,600 new cases and 1,560 deaths from ALL in 2022.

The age group most likely to develop ALL is children younger than 5 years old Trusted Source American Cancer Society Highly respected international organization Go to source . As a person ages, the risk slowly declines until their mid-20s, then rises again after the age of 50. In general, adults represent about four of every ten cases of ALL.

In children

The outlook for children with ALL tends to be more positive than for adults. While children are more likely to develop ALL, they are least likely to die from it. Four out of five Trusted Source American Cancer Society Highly respected international organization Go to source ALL deaths occur in adults. 

The 5-year survival rate is about 90% for children younger than 15. The rate is 75% for adolescents 15–19 years old. 

Read about acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

What factors influence survival rates?

Several factors affect the outlook of a person with ALL. These factors include Trusted Source American Cancer Society Highly respected international organization Go to source :

  • Age: People younger than age 25 typically have a more positive outlook.
  • Initial white blood cell (WBC) count at diagnosis: People with a WBC count less than 30,000 with B-cell ALL, and those with a count less than 100,000 for T-cell ALL have a more positive outlook. 
  • Gene or chromosome irregularities: People with certain gene and chromosome changes may have a more negative outlook. 
  • Response to chemotherapy: People who experience remission 4–5 weeks after initiating chemotherapy tend to have a more positive outlook. 
  • Relapse after remission: People who experience a return of ALL after being in remission typically do not live past 1 year. 

How does age affect the survival rates of ALL?

About 98% of children with ALL go into remission. Remission means there are no signs of cancer in the body.

More than 90% of children ages 1–18 are expected to be alive 5 years after diagnosis. 

The outlook for adults is less positive. Adults younger than age 50 typically have Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source a higher survival rate than adults older than age 60. 

How does the type of ALL affect survival rates?

For many cancers, doctors run tests to see how far the cancer has spread to determine the stage of the cancer.

However, ALL is different. It does not grow a tumor that spreads, so there is no stage of cancer. Rather, doctors run lab tests to determine the type of ALL. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source divides ALL into subtypes including: 

  • B lymphoblastic
  • T lymphoblastic

B lymphoblastic type is broken down further into two subtypes called B-cell ALL with genetic abnormalities, and B-cell ALL without genetic abnormalities. B-cell ALL with genetic abnormalities can also break down into further subtypes. B-cell ALL is the most common type of ALL in adults.

The type of ALL a person has may play a role in determining the outcome of the condition. Talk with your doctor about which type of ALL you have and how this relates to your individual outlook. 

How does the spread of ALL affect survival rates?

ALL can spread from the blood to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

If this occurs, the outlook of the condition typically becomes less positive. 

Other frequently asked questions

Julie Scott, DNP, ANP-BC, AOCNP, has reviewed these questions people also ask about ALL.

How curable is acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

Experts have a positive outlook when it comes to treating ALL in children. However, the outlook is lower when treating ALL in adults. ALL in adults may not respond to the same treatment. In addition, adults my find it more difficult to cope with aggressive treatments. However, there has been much improvement in the last several decades. There is hope for even better outcomes in the future. 

What is the main cause of acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

Many times doctors do not know what triggers ALL in a person. However, they have identified several factors that may increase Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source your chance of ALL. These may include exposure to ionizing radiation, pesticides, and genetic factors.

How quickly does acute lymphoblastic leukemia progress?

ALL is an aggressive condition that spreads quickly through blood. Because it is a cancer that starts in the bone marrow where blood cells are made, ALL quickly spreads throughout the body in the bloodstream. ALL is different from a cancer that forms a tumor that takes time to grow and eventually spreads to the bloodstream.

Summary

ALL survival rates depend on factors such as age, white blood cell count at diagnosis, and the type of ALL.

Children tend to have a more positive outlook. However, outlooks for all ages are becoming more positive with new treatments. 

Survival rates are individual, speak with your doctor about the outlook for your circumstances.

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  4. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment (PDQ®)–Health professional version. (2023). https://www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia/hp/child-all-treatment-pdq
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Medical Reviewer: Julie Scott, DNP, ANP-BC, AOCNP
Last Review Date: 2023 Mar 9
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