# Leukaemia (all types)

Source: https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/  
OnCo record `leukaemia` (Cancer). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Leukaemia means cancer of the blood-forming cells, but the four main types share little beyond the name: acute lymphoblastic and acute myeloid leukaemia are emergencies treated with intensive therapy, while chronic lymphocytic and chronic myeloid leukaemia are slow diseases controlled for years with pills. Each has its own page.

## Summary

Leukaemias arise when a blood stem cell or its progeny acquires mutations that block maturation and drive proliferation, flooding the marrow and blood with abnormal cells. They are classified by speed (acute or chronic) and lineage (lymphoid or myeloid). Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the commonest childhood cancer and is cured in about 90 percent of children; acute myeloid leukaemia is mainly a disease of older adults treated with intensive chemotherapy, venetoclax combinations and transplant; chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is often watched for years and then controlled with BTK and BCL2 inhibitors; chronic myeloid leukaemia became the model of targeted therapy with imatinib. Rarer forms include hairy cell leukaemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia. CAR-T cells and bispecific antibodies are changing the acute leukaemias.

## Fields

- Kind: Cancer
- Last checked: 2026-09-17
- Also known as: Leukemia; Blood cancer (leukaemias)
- Tags: parent-page
- Group: haematologic
- Burden: About 490,000 new cases and 300,000 deaths a year worldwide; the commonest cancer of childhood, where most cases are now cured, and a group of very different diseases in adults.
- Subtypes: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL); Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML); Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL); Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML); Hairy cell leukaemia; Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML); Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN)
- Biomarkers: Flow cytometry immunophenotype; Cytogenetics and fusion genes (BCR-ABL1, PML-RARA, KMT2A); Mutations (FLT3, NPM1, IDH1/2, TP53, IGHV status); Measurable residual disease by flow or PCR

## Sections of this record

The page is a hub with ten sections in reading order; large sections have their own page. The same plan as JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/cancers/leukaemia/sections.json

- Overview (on the hub): The TL;DR, the family this cancer belongs to, the organ, who gets it and what the state of the art is. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/#overview [11 subtypes, 4 state-of-the-art points]
- Types and stages (on the hub): Anatomy, the subtypes and how they differ, how it is staged, and where advanced disease spreads. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/#what-it-is [18 subtypes]
- Symptoms and diagnosis (on the hub): How this cancer shows itself, how the diagnosis is confirmed, and the biomarkers clinicians test for. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/#finding-it [4 biomarkers]
- Treatment (on the hub): The standard of care by setting, the medicines, surgery and radiotherapy named in it, and the regimens behind them. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/#treating-it [3 settings, 2 decisions with options]
- Trials and papers (own page): Trials recruiting now, the landmark trials, the trials held by this cancer's subtypes, the key papers and what they mean, the latest literature, and the milestones year by year. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/evidence/ [41 trials, 202 trials in the subtypes, 5 milestones]
- Biology and targets (own page): The molecular landscape: the targets and how often each appears, the pathways, the mechanics stages and the preclinical models. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/science/ [161 targets]
- Countries and centres (own page): Cases by country, the UK and NHS pathway and other country lenses, the expert centres with trials on record, and the centres named on this cancer's subtypes. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/where-you-are/ [67 centres in the subtypes]
- Decisions and support (on the hub): The decisions you may face, the aids that walk through them, the warnings on record, the first sixty days and the questions to ask. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/#living-with-it [12 questions]
- Pipeline and open problems (own page): Everything in development, the medicines held by this cancer's subtypes, the open problems and what is being done about them, the roadmaps, and what changed on this record. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/coming/ [2 medicines, 133 medicines in the subtypes, 41 trials, 4 open problems]
- Data (own page): Every connected record, the notes, the JSON, Markdown and RDF twins, and where the record came from and when it was checked. https://onco.cc/cancers/leukaemia/data/ [217 connected records]

## Standard of care

- Diagnosis: Blood count and film, bone marrow aspirate and biopsy, flow cytometry, cytogenetics and molecular panel; the subtype then sets the pathway. ([Multiparameter flow cytometry MRD](https://onco.cc/technologies/flow-cytometry-mrd/), [Cytogenetics and FISH](https://onco.cc/technologies/cytogenetics-fish/))
- Treatment: By type on the subtype pages: intensive chemotherapy and transplant for acute leukaemias, tyrosine kinase inhibitors for CML, BTK and BCL2 inhibitors for CLL. ([Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Acute myeloid leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/aml/), [Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/cll/), [Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)](https://onco.cc/cancers/cml/))
- Supportive care: Growth factor support, transfusion, infection prevention and tumour lysis prophylaxis around intensive treatment. ([Growth factors: G-CSF and febrile neutropenia prevention](https://onco.cc/technologies/g-csf-growth-factors/), [Transfusion support and anaemia management](https://onco.cc/technologies/transfusion-support/))

## State of the art

- Childhood ALL cure rates near 90 percent through risk-adapted chemotherapy and measurable residual disease monitoring.
- CML patients live near-normal lifespans on tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and many can stop treatment.
- Venetoclax made AML treatable in older adults; CAR-T and blinatumomab rescued relapsed ALL.
- Treatment-free remission and measurable residual disease guide therapy across the chronic leukaemias.

## Open problems

- Adult ALL and TP53-mutated AML still have poor outcomes.
- Infant and relapsed childhood leukaemias.
- Access to CAR-T and transplant outside rich countries.
- Late effects of childhood treatment.

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukemia
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukemia
- NCI PDQ: https://www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia

## Connected records

- drugs: [Imatinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/imatinib/), [Tisagenlecleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/tisagenlecleucel/)
- technologies: [CAR-T cell therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/car-t/), [Cytogenetics and FISH](https://onco.cc/technologies/cytogenetics-fish/), [Ex vivo drug sensitivity screening in blood cancers (EXALT)](https://onco.cc/technologies/functional-precision-medicine-haematology/), [Flow cytometers](https://onco.cc/technologies/flow-cytometers/), [Growth factors: G-CSF and febrile neutropenia prevention](https://onco.cc/technologies/g-csf-growth-factors/), [Menin inhibitors](https://onco.cc/technologies/menin-inhibitors/), [Multiparameter flow cytometry MRD](https://onco.cc/technologies/flow-cytometry-mrd/), [TPMT and NUDT15 genotyping before thiopurines](https://onco.cc/technologies/tpmt-nudt15-genotyping/), [Transfusion support and anaemia management](https://onco.cc/technologies/transfusion-support/)
- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Acute myeloid leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/aml/), [Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN)](https://onco.cc/cancers/bpdcn/), [Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/cll/), [Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)](https://onco.cc/cancers/cml/), [Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia and MDS/MPN overlap neoplasms](https://onco.cc/cancers/cmml/), [Hairy cell leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/hairy-cell-leukemia/), [Mixed-phenotype acute leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/mixed-phenotype-acute-leukaemia/), [Splenic B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia with prominent nucleoli (formerly B-cell prolymphocytic leukaemia and hairy cell leukaemia variant)](https://onco.cc/cancers/splenic-b-cell-lymphoma-leukaemia-prominent-nucleoli/), [T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/t-large-granular-lymphocytic-leukaemia/), [T-cell prolymphocytic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/t-cell-prolymphocytic-leukaemia/)
- trials: [A Phase II Study of Flumatinib Versus Imatinib to Treat Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct01503502/), [A Safety and Efficacy Study of Eltrombopag in Subjects With AML](https://onco.cc/trials/nct01890746/), [A Study Evaluating Intensive Chemotherapy With or Without Glasdegib or Azacitidine With or Without Glasdegib In Patients With Previously Untreated Acute Myeloid Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct03416179/), [A Study to Assess the Effect of Maintenance Treatment With Rituximab Versus No Treatment in Participants With Progressive B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00718549/), [AALL0232](https://onco.cc/trials/aall0232/), [AALL1231](https://onco.cc/trials/aall1231/), [AALL1331](https://onco.cc/trials/aall1331/), [AALL1521](https://onco.cc/trials/aall1521/), [AAML1031](https://onco.cc/trials/aaml1031/), [ALL R3 (UKALLR3)](https://onco.cc/trials/ukallr3/), [ALL-SCT BFM International- HSCT in Children and Adolescents With ALL](https://onco.cc/trials/nct01423500/), [CLL12](https://onco.cc/trials/cll12/), [Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Young Patients With Newly Diagnosed High-Risk B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Ph-Like TKI Sensitive Mutations](https://onco.cc/trials/nct02883049/), [Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Bone Marrow Transplantation in Treating Children With Acute Myeloid Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00003436/), [Combination Chemotherapy With or Without G-CSF in Treating Older Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00002719/), [Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Lestaurtinib in Treating Younger Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00557193/), [Combination Chemotherapy, Biological Therapy, and Bone Marrow Transplantation in Treating Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00002658/), [Continuation Study of B1371019(NCT03416179) and B1371012(NCT02367456) Evaluating Azacitidine With Or Without Glasdegib In Patients With Previously Untreated AML, MDS or CMML](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04842604/), [Efficacy and Safety of Linperlisib in Relapsed/Refractory Large Granular T Lymphocytic Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06224257/), [Efficacy and Safety of Panobinostat (LBH589) in Patients With Refractory de Novo or Secondary Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00880269/), [EsPhALL (EsPhALL2004 and EsPhALL2010)](https://onco.cc/trials/esphall/), [GRAALL-2005](https://onco.cc/trials/graall-2005/), [Interleukin 11, Thrombocytopenia, Imatinib in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) Patients](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00493181/), [International Collaborative Treatment Protocol For Children And Adolescents With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct01117441/), [IntReALL SR 2010](https://onco.cc/trials/intreall-sr-2010/), [Methotrexate or Pentostatin for Graft-versus-host Disease Prophylaxis in Risk-adapted Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation for Hematologic Malignancies](https://onco.cc/trials/nct01188798/), [MORPHO](https://onco.cc/trials/morpho/), [Moxetumomab Pasudotox for Advanced Hairy Cell Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct01829711/), [Palifermin for the Reduction of Oral Mucositis in Single-dose Evaluation (PROMISE)](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00109031/), [Pevonedistat Plus Azacitidine Versus Single-Agent Azacitidine as First-Line Treatment for Participants With Higher-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (HR MDS), Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML), or Low-Blast Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)](https://onco.cc/trials/nct03268954/), [Phase 2 Trial of Prophylactic Rituximab Therapy for Prevention of CGVHD](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00186628/), [Phase II Study of Lenalidomide and Eltrombopag in Patients With Symptomatic Anemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct01772420/), [QUAZAR AML-001](https://onco.cc/trials/quazar-aml-001/), [Rasburicase in Patients at High Risk for Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS) During Cycle-2](https://onco.cc/trials/nct01200485/), [Response-Based Chemotherapy in Treating Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome in Younger Patients With Down Syndrome](https://onco.cc/trials/nct02521493/), [Stem Cell Transplantation With NiCord® (Omidubicel) vs Standard UCB in Patients With Leukemia, Lymphoma, and MDS](https://onco.cc/trials/nct02730299/), [Study of Azacitidine，Venetoclax，and Flumatinib in Newly Diagnosed Ph-positive Acute Leukemia and CML-AP/BP Patients](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05433532/), [Study of Efficacy and Safety of Flumatinib Combined With Chemotherapy in Ph Positive ALL](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04375683/), [Study to Compare Azacitidine Plus Pevonedistat Versus Azacitidine in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Not Eligible for Standard Chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04090736/), [Treatment of Hyperuricemia With Rasburicase in Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or High Grade Lymphoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00199043/), [Treatment of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplasia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct00136084/)
- companies: [German CLL Study Group](https://onco.cc/companies/german-cll-study-group/)
- targets: [ACOXL](https://onco.cc/targets/acoxl/), [ACTA2](https://onco.cc/targets/acta2/), [AFF1](https://onco.cc/targets/aff1/), [AMER1](https://onco.cc/targets/amer1/), [ARHGAP26](https://onco.cc/targets/arhgap26/), [ARID5B](https://onco.cc/targets/arid5b/), [ASXL1](https://onco.cc/targets/asxl1/), [ATM](https://onco.cc/targets/atm/), [AXIN1](https://onco.cc/targets/axin1/), [BAK1](https://onco.cc/targets/bak1/), [BCL11B](https://onco.cc/targets/bcl11b/), [BCOR](https://onco.cc/targets/bcor/), [BIRC3](https://onco.cc/targets/birc3/), [BLK](https://onco.cc/targets/blk/), [BLM](https://onco.cc/targets/blm/), [CARD11](https://onco.cc/targets/card11/), [CBFA2T3](https://onco.cc/targets/cbfa2t3/), [CBL](https://onco.cc/targets/cbl/), [CCND3](https://onco.cc/targets/ccnd3/), [CD3D](https://onco.cc/targets/cd3d/), [CD3G](https://onco.cc/targets/cd3g/), [CDA](https://onco.cc/targets/cda/), [CDKN2A](https://onco.cc/targets/cdkn2a/), [CEBPA](https://onco.cc/targets/cebpa/), [CEP43](https://onco.cc/targets/cep43/), [CHD2](https://onco.cc/targets/chd2/), [CNOT3](https://onco.cc/targets/cnot3/), [CNTRL](https://onco.cc/targets/cntrl/), [CPSF6](https://onco.cc/targets/cpsf6/), [CREBBP](https://onco.cc/targets/crebbp/), [CSF2RB](https://onco.cc/targets/csf2rb/), [CTCF](https://onco.cc/targets/ctcf/), [CUX1](https://onco.cc/targets/cux1/), [DDX3X](https://onco.cc/targets/ddx3x/), [DDX41](https://onco.cc/targets/ddx41/), [DNM2](https://onco.cc/targets/dnm2/), [EPS15](https://onco.cc/targets/eps15/), [ERCC4](https://onco.cc/targets/ercc4/), [ERG](https://onco.cc/targets/erg/), [ETNK1](https://onco.cc/targets/etnk1/), [ETV6](https://onco.cc/targets/etv6/), [FANCA](https://onco.cc/targets/fanca/), [FANCC](https://onco.cc/targets/fancc/), [FANCD2](https://onco.cc/targets/fancd2/), [FANCE](https://onco.cc/targets/fance/), [FANCF](https://onco.cc/targets/fancf/), [FANCG](https://onco.cc/targets/fancg/), [FAS](https://onco.cc/targets/fas/), [FBXW7](https://onco.cc/targets/fbxw7/), [FES](https://onco.cc/targets/fes/), [FGFR1OP2](https://onco.cc/targets/fgfr1op2/), [FGR](https://onco.cc/targets/fgr/), [FYN](https://onco.cc/targets/fyn/), [GAB2](https://onco.cc/targets/gab2/), [GATA1](https://onco.cc/targets/gata1/), [GATA2](https://onco.cc/targets/gata2/), [GATA3](https://onco.cc/targets/gata3/), [GNB1](https://onco.cc/targets/gnb1/), [GRB2](https://onco.cc/targets/grb2/), [HNRNPA2B1](https://onco.cc/targets/hnrnpa2b1/), [IFNAR2](https://onco.cc/targets/ifnar2/), [IL2RB](https://onco.cc/targets/il2rb/), [IL2RG](https://onco.cc/targets/il2rg/), [IL7R](https://onco.cc/targets/il7r/), [IMPDH1](https://onco.cc/targets/impdh1/), [IRF8](https://onco.cc/targets/irf8/), [JAK3](https://onco.cc/targets/jak3/), [KDM5A](https://onco.cc/targets/kdm5a/), [KMT2C](https://onco.cc/targets/kmt2c/), [LCK](https://onco.cc/targets/lck/), [LEF1](https://onco.cc/targets/lef1/), [LPP](https://onco.cc/targets/lpp/), [LRRFIP1](https://onco.cc/targets/lrrfip1/), [MBD4](https://onco.cc/targets/mbd4/), [MED12](https://onco.cc/targets/med12/), [MLLT1](https://onco.cc/targets/mllt1/), [MLLT10](https://onco.cc/targets/mllt10/), [MLLT3](https://onco.cc/targets/mllt3/), [MYB](https://onco.cc/targets/myb/), [MYC](https://onco.cc/targets/myc-gene/), [MYD88](https://onco.cc/targets/myd88/), [MYO18A](https://onco.cc/targets/myo18a/), [NBN](https://onco.cc/targets/nbn/), [NFKBIE](https://onco.cc/targets/nfkbie/), [NOTCH1](https://onco.cc/targets/notch1/), [NSD1](https://onco.cc/targets/nsd1/), [NSD2](https://onco.cc/targets/nsd2/), [NT5C2](https://onco.cc/targets/nt5c2/), [NUP214](https://onco.cc/targets/nup214/), [NUP98](https://onco.cc/targets/nup98/), [PAX5](https://onco.cc/targets/pax5/), [PBX1](https://onco.cc/targets/pbx1/), [PHF6](https://onco.cc/targets/phf6/), [PIK3CG](https://onco.cc/targets/pik3cg/), [PIK3R1](https://onco.cc/targets/pik3r1/), [PLCG1](https://onco.cc/targets/plcg1/), [PML](https://onco.cc/targets/pml/), [POLA2](https://onco.cc/targets/pola2/), [POLD1](https://onco.cc/targets/pold1/), [POLD2](https://onco.cc/targets/pold2/), [POLD3](https://onco.cc/targets/pold3/), [POLD4](https://onco.cc/targets/pold4/), [POLE](https://onco.cc/targets/pole/), [POLE2](https://onco.cc/targets/pole2/), [POLE3](https://onco.cc/targets/pole3/), [POT1](https://onco.cc/targets/pot1/), [PPAT](https://onco.cc/targets/ppat/), [PRF1](https://onco.cc/targets/prf1/), [PRIM1](https://onco.cc/targets/prim1/), [PRIM2](https://onco.cc/targets/prim2/), [PRKCB](https://onco.cc/targets/prkcb/), [PRKCD](https://onco.cc/targets/prkcd/), [PRKCE](https://onco.cc/targets/prkce/), [PRKCG](https://onco.cc/targets/prkcg/), [PRKCH](https://onco.cc/targets/prkch/), [PRKCI](https://onco.cc/targets/prkci/), [PRKCQ](https://onco.cc/targets/prkcq/), [PRKCZ](https://onco.cc/targets/prkcz/), [PRKD1](https://onco.cc/targets/prkd1/), [PRKD3](https://onco.cc/targets/prkd3/), [RAD21](https://onco.cc/targets/rad21/), [RARB](https://onco.cc/targets/rarb/), [RARG](https://onco.cc/targets/rarg/), [RHOA](https://onco.cc/targets/rhoa/), [RPL10](https://onco.cc/targets/rpl10/), [RPL5](https://onco.cc/targets/rpl5/), [RPS29](https://onco.cc/targets/rps29/), [RRM2](https://onco.cc/targets/rrm2/), [RRM2B](https://onco.cc/targets/rrm2b/), [RTEL1](https://onco.cc/targets/rtel1/), [RUNX1](https://onco.cc/targets/runx1/), [RUNX1T1](https://onco.cc/targets/runx1t1/), [SBDS](https://onco.cc/targets/sbds/), [SET](https://onco.cc/targets/set/), [SETBP1](https://onco.cc/targets/setbp1/), [SETD2](https://onco.cc/targets/setd2/), [SF3B1](https://onco.cc/targets/sf3b1/), [SH2B3](https://onco.cc/targets/sh2b3/), [SLX4](https://onco.cc/targets/slx4/), [SND1](https://onco.cc/targets/snd1/), [SRMS](https://onco.cc/targets/srms/), [SRSF2](https://onco.cc/targets/srsf2/), [STAG2](https://onco.cc/targets/stag2/), [STAT3](https://onco.cc/targets/stat3/), [STIL](https://onco.cc/targets/stil/), [SUZ12](https://onco.cc/targets/suz12/), [SYK](https://onco.cc/targets/syk/), [TAL1](https://onco.cc/targets/tal1/), [TBL1XR1](https://onco.cc/targets/tbl1xr1/), [TCF3](https://onco.cc/targets/tcf3/), [TERT](https://onco.cc/targets/tert/), [TNFAIP3](https://onco.cc/targets/tnfaip3/), [TP63](https://onco.cc/targets/tp63/), [TRIM24](https://onco.cc/targets/trim24/), [U2AF1](https://onco.cc/targets/u2af1/), [WT1](https://onco.cc/targets/wt1/), [YES1](https://onco.cc/targets/yes1/), [ZMYM2](https://onco.cc/targets/zmym2/), [ZRSR2](https://onco.cc/targets/zrsr2/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/leukaemia.json