What is T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

 T-ALL or T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a sort of acute lymphoblastic leukemia meaning that it is invasive and spreads rapidly. It impacts the lymphoid-cell-developing stem cells, in specific a type of white blood cell named T lymphocytes as opposed to acute lymphoblastic leukemia which commonly impacts B lymphocytes.

In this blood cancer, the immature white blood cells (WBCs) deposit in the bone marrow and eliminates normal white blood cells (WBCs), weakening the defense system. The cells may also deposit in the liver, lymph nodes, and spleen.

Causes and Risk Factors of T-ALL:

In maximum cases of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, there is no exact cause but it is necessary to understand that T-ALL neither is a complication that can be caught from someone else (contagious) nor passed on from a parent to a child (inherited)

Rick factors:

Age: most types of leukemia are so common in older individuals. The major exception to this is ALL, in which the highest incidence is in children, aged between about 2 to 5 years. T-ALL is most commonly found in slightly older children.

Being male: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) affects men more than women of all ages.

Signs and Symptoms of T-ALL:

There are no exclusive signs or symptoms which can help make T-ALL diagnosis easy. The most commonly reported signs and symptoms of T-ALL are caused by the bone marrow being not able to make adequate normal blood cells.

• Anaemia (because of lack of red blood cells)
• Tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, palpitations, light-headedness
• Infections (because of lack of normal white blood cells)
• Infections are more frequent, more severe, and last longer
• Malaise, fever (general feeling of illness), and sweats
• Purpura (small bruises on the skin), bleeding gums, nosebleeds
• Bleeding and bruising (because of lack of platelets)

Other commonly reported signs and symptoms include:

T-ALL oftentimes causes swollen lymph nodes in the mediastinum (a middle part of the chest) which may impact breathing or the circulation

Drug Therapy for T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL):

The drug Atriance contains the active substance Nelarabine. It is specifically licensed for the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) that doesn’t respond to or relapses following initial therapy. It is commercially available as a 250 mg/50 mL (5 mg/mL) vial. Atriance 250 mg/50 mL can be effective, but about 15 % of individuals who receive treatment may develop neurotoxicity, which can cause serious and irreversible side effects.