Multidisciplinary Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Care

Acute lymphocytic leukemia, also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 6,660 new cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of adults diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia will achieve complete remission. Despite these promising statistics, a large portion of these patients will relapse, and prognostic factors become critical to future treatment decisions. Relevant factors in post-remission prognosis include white blood cell count at diagnosis, disease subtype, and length of time to achieve complete remission. Additionally, measurable residual disease has recently emerged as an important prognostic factor. Quantification of measurable residual disease can provide insight into a patient’s risk and benefit stratification, enabling cancer care teams to make more patient-specific therapeutic selections.

The ACCC Multidisciplinary Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Care education project seeks to identify key barriers to and opportunities for improvement in the cancer care delivery for patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, including utilization of measurable residual disease testing, detection, and monitoring. Through this project, ACCC aims to:

• Understand the current landscape for utilization of measurable residual disease data in the community;
• Identify effective practices and potential gaps and barriers in care delivery for patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia; and
• Provide peer-to-peer learning opportunities and resources for increased awareness, adoption, and utilization of measurable residual disease data through a series of “how-to” learning modules.

For more information on this project, please contact the ACCC Provider Education department.