Lymphocytes may crowd out other blood cells in the blood and bone marrow. If the bone marrow cannot make enough red blood cells to carry oxygen, then anemia may develop. If the bone marrow cannot make enough platelets to make the blood clot normally, the bleeding or bruising may develop more easily. The cancerous lymphocytes can also invade other organs, the spinal cord, and the brain. ALL progresses quickly and can occur in adults and children.
Treatment is different for adults than it is for children.
ALL is often difficult to diagnose. The early signs may be similar to the flu or other common diseases. If there are symptoms, a doctor may order blood tests to count the number of each of the different kinds of blood cells. If the results of the blood tests are not normal, a doctor may do a bone marrow biopsy. During this test, a needle is inserted into a bone and a small amount of bone marrow is taken out and looked at under the microscope.