Clinical Information

In the United States, the incidence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is roughly 6000 new cases per year (as of 2019). ALL accounts for approximately 70% of all childhood leukemia cases (ages 0-19 years), making it the most common type of childhood cancer. Approximately 85% of pediatric cases of ALL are B-cell lineage (B-ALL) and 15% are T-cell lineage (T-ALL). It has a peak incidence at 2 to 5 years of age. The incidence decreases with increasing age, before increasing again at around 50 years of age. ALL is slightly more common in male patients than female patients. There is an increased incidence of ALL in individuals with Down syndrome, Fanconi anemia, Bloom syndrome, ataxia telangiectasia, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, and severe combined immunodeficiency. The overall cure rate for ALL in children is about 90% and about 45% to 60% of adults have long-term disease-free survival. CRLF2/IGH rearrangements are more commonly observed in patients with Down syndrome or of Hispanic descent.

Specific genetic abnormalities are identified in the majority of cases of B-ALL, either by conventional chromosome studies or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies. For more than 25 years, the Mayo Clinic Genomics Laboratory has served as a Children's Oncology Group (COG) accredited laboratory for the performance of cytogenetic testing in pediatric patients being considered for enrollment in COG clinical trials and research. The laboratory is highly equipped to perform the time sensitive and critical cytogenetic testing necessary to assign risk stratification and facilitate enrollment in COG protocols.

Each of the B-ALL genetic subgroups is important to detect and can be critical prognostic markers. The decision for early transplantation may be made if t(9;22)(q34;q11.2), MLL (KMT2A) translocations, RUNX1 duplication/amplification (iAMP21) or a hypodiploid clone is identified. In contrast, if the ETV6/RUNX1 fusion is detected by FISH or hyperdiploidy is identified by chromosome studies, the patient has a favorable prognosis and transplantation is rarely considered.

A newly recognized World Health Organization entity BCR-ABL1-like ALL, also known as Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL), is increasing in importance due to the poor prognosis seen in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult ALL. Common features of this entity involve rearrangements with tyrosine kinase genes involving the following genes: ABL2, PDGFRB, JAK2, ABL1, CRLF2, and P2RY8. Deletion of IKZF1 often accompanies this entity. Some patients who have failed conventional therapies have demonstrated favorable responses to targeted therapies in clinical trials when rearrangements involving these specific gene regions have been identified.

Evaluation of the MYC gene region is included in all diagnostic B-ALL panels to evaluate for Burkitt lymphoma. If a positive result is obtained, additional testing for the BCL2 and BCL6 gene regions will be performed.

Metaphase FISH confirmation of classic translocations that are cryptic and not visually detectable by chromosome analysis [ie, t(12;21) associated with ETV6/RUNX1 fusion] is performed, as required by COG, and is included as part of the electronic case submission by the Mayo Clinic Genomics Laboratory to COG for central review.

Additional cytogenetic techniques such as chromosomal microarray (CMAH / Chromosomal Microarray, Hematologic Disorders, Varies) may be helpful to resolve questions related to ploidy (hyperdiploid clone vs doubled hypodiploid clone) or to resolve certain clonal structural rearrangements such as the presence or absence of intra-chromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 (iAMP21). A summary of the characteristic chromosome abnormalities identified in B-ALL is listed in the following table.

Table. Common Chromosome Abnormalities in B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia