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Key Points. 1  Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). 2  Leukemia may affect red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. 3  Previous chemotherapy and exposure to radiation may increase the risk of developing ALL.
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL), a slow-growing lymphocytic cancer, accounts for about 2 percent of all leukemias. Like many other types of cancer, chronic leukemias become more common with age. The average age of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is roughly 70 years, and the average age of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients is 40 to 50 years old. By contrast, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is largely a pediatric (childhood) disease and usually occurs in children younger than 10 years of age. Worldwide, leukemia generally affects men more often than women. In Western countries, the male:female ratio is highest in CLL patients.