Advances in the Treatment of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

• Main Author: Hyery Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Korean Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology 2019-04-01
• Series: Clinical Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
• Subjects: childhood; precursor cell lymphoblastic leukemia; prognosis; survival
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15264/cpho.2019.26.1.12

In recent decades, survival rates for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia have improved remarkably, as demonstrated by risk-stratified, prospective multicenter studies. Treatment protocols have evolved and become better matched to both prognostic factors and treatment responses. Recently, new molecular prognostic factors have been discovered in leukemia genomic studies. New tumor subtypes with independent gene expression profiles have also been characterized. Furthermore, therapies targeted to specific candidate mutations are being identified to broaden therapeutic options for patients with poor prognoses. Many new drugs are in clinical trials and immunotherapy is attracting significant interest for the treatment of recurrent or refractory disease in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.