Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside your bones where blood cells are made.(1)
The word ‘acute’ in ALL means that the disease progresses rapidly and creates immature blood cells, rather than mature ones.(2)
The ‘lymphoblastic’ in ALL refers to the white blood cells called lymphocytes, and ALL affects these cells.(3)
ALL has various types and subgroups, including B-cell ALL, T-cell ALL, and Philadelphia positive ALL.(1)
Throughout your whole life your body makes cells to enable it to function. There are many different types of cells in your body. Sometimes these cells do not always develop in the right way.(2)
If you have ALL, your bone marrow produces bad blood cells that develop into leukaemic white blood cells called lymphoblasts. These bad blood cells are unable to function properly, and they can build up and crowd out healthy blood cells, making you feel poorly.(2)