Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Incidence

The incidence of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in Children below 15 years is approximately 3-4 cases per 100,000 children.

The following are some of the highlights of ALL incidence-

• ALL is more prevalent in developed countries than in the developing ones. The magnitude of the disease appears to correlate with the socio-economic status.
• There are approximately 2,400 children and adolescents below 20 years of age who are diagnosed with ALL each year in the United States.
• A gradual increase in the incidence of ALL has been observed in the last 25 years.
• ALL is the most common cancer among children with a peak incidence of 4-5 years of age. It accounts for 23% of childhood cancers (children younger than 15 years).

• The incidence of ALL appears to be highest in Hispanic children; it is 3- fold higher for white children, aged 2-3 years, compared to black children of the same age
• In adults, it is less common than Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). In the United States, approximately 1000 new ALL cases occur in adults each year.
• Only 20-40% of adults with ALL are cured with current treatment regimens
• The highest incidence of ALL occurs in Italy, the United States, Switzerland, and Costa Rica
• The annual rate of ALL occurrence is approximately 30 to 40 per million.