[Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia: update on pathophysiology and management]

For a long time, treatment for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) lacked significant improvements. Since 2000, new approaches, such as the treatments of adolescent and young adult ALL using pediatric-like protocols and Ph+ ALL treatments using tyrosine kinase inhibitor-combined chemotherapies. Further improvements are expected from the use of pediatric-like protocols to whole adults, and the use of newly approved anti-cancer drugs, such as inotuzumab ozogamicin and blinatumomab. Furthermore, comprehensive genetic analyses using next generation sequencing technology have recently discovered new recurrent fusion genes of ALL, such as DUX4 fusion genes, ZNF384 fusion genes, and MEF2D fusion genes. In this review, I will introduce these frontline studies and discuss about the treatment of patients with adult ALL.