Acute Leukemias

Acute leukemia is the most common type of malignancy in children, accounting for approximately 25% of newly diagnosed cancers in patients less than 15years of age. The majority of cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) arise from B‐cell committed progenitors. T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia represents approximately 15% of ALL cases. Approximately 20% of acute childhood leukemia is myelogenous, equating to about 500 new cases per year in the United States. Unlike ALL, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) does not have a peak age incidence in children, as there are only subtle increases in incidence from infancy to adolescence. The etiology of AML is mostly sporadic, although several inherited and acquired risk factors may significantly predispose to this disease. This chapter presents a case study of a 12‐year‐old girl, who is presented to the emergency department for evaluation of “hard bumps” in her neck.