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What is Leukemia?

Childhood leukemia is the most common cancer in children. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that the body uses to fight infections. In ALL, the bone marrow makes lots of unformed cells called blasts that normally would develop into lymphocytes. However, the blasts are abnormal. They do not develop and cannot fight infections. The number of abnormal cells (or leukemia cells) grows quickly. They crowd out the normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets the body needs. With the exception of prenatal exposure to X-rays and specific genetic syndromes, such as Down Syndrome, little is known about the causes of and risk factors for childhood ALL. As the result of fifty years of research, 80% of children with leukemia are cured in the United States.

Despite the fact initial therapy is often effective, many patients will relapse. A relapse is when the disease returns after a remission. Whenever a patient relapses it will be more difficult to achieve a remission than it was during their initial therapy. Patients who relapse soon after remission, while they are receiving chemotherapy or have a second or subsequent bone marrow relapse have high-risk disease that will be more difficult to achieve a remission using standard treatment plans. Different chemotherapy drugs and/or more intense doses combined with different treatment modalities such as bone marrow transplant may be needed to achieve remission in this patient population.  You can get more information about leukemia at the NCI's childhood cancer information page NCI-Childhood Leukemia .

The TACL Consortium (Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia & Lymphoma) is dedicated to the integration of novel anti-cancer agents into multi-agent combinations, based on comprehensive laboratory investigations and exhaustive review of available clinical data. We seek to develop and test new treatments that will contribute to successful long-term remissions for relapsed patients.