Complications of ALL

The majority of patients with ALL suffer from anemia, low white blood cells or low platelet count. Infections in ALL patients are quite common and must be treated very aggressively with intravenous antibiotics. Certain complications may occur in these patients:

Central Nervous System (CNS) involvement may occur in 5 to 10% of ALL patients. Chemotherapy drugs do not penetrate CNS well. Thus, complications may occur at anytime during the course of the illness. Treatment consists of radiation therapy and chemotherapy injections inside the spinal fluid.

Testis involvement may occur in up to 10% of patients. As in CNS, Chemotherapy drugs also do not penetrate the testicles. Therefore, this complication can occur at anytime during the course of the illness. This problem is treated with radiation therapy to both testicles, even if only one testicle is involved.

Other complications resulting from ALL or its treatment are:

• High calcium levels

• High uric acid levels

• Tumor Lysis Syndrome