Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a hematologic malignancy of the bone marrow characterized by the rapid proliferation and subsequent accumulation of immature lymphocytes. ALL accounts for 20% of all acute leukemias that are seen in adults over the age of 20 years. In the past 2 decades, there has been substantial improvement in the understanding of the molecular biology of the disease and in the management of adult patients who have this disorder, including allogeneic transplantation This article reviews the biology of adult ALL, the relationship of specific disease characteristics to the natural history of the disease and the role of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in the management of adult patients with this disease.