Leukemia

Leukemias are a group of life threatening malignant disorders of the blood and bone marrow. In the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population, the acute leukemias are most prevalent, with chronic myeloid leukemia being infrequently seen. Factors associated with more aggressive disease biology tend to increase in frequency with increasing age, whilst tolerability of treatment strategies decreases. There are also challenges regarding the effective delivery of therapy specific to the AYA group, consequences on the unique psychosocial needs of this age group, including compliance. This chapter reviews the current status of epidemiology, pathophysiology, treatment strategies and outcomes of AYA leukemia, with a focus on acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.