Acute lymphoblastic leukemia: long-term psychological outcome

Children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) now have an excellent chance for a medical cure. Nearly 90% can expect to attain an initial remission and the majority of those will remain disease-free. There is increasing concern about the long-term consequences of ALL and its treatment on the psychological adjustment of the survivor. This article selectively reviews the available literature on the neuropsychological and psychosocial adjustment of long-term survivors of ALL. The risk of neuropsychologic deficiencies among children who have remained in continuous remission has been the focus of conflicting findings, while the risk among those who have survived CNS relapse is clearly elevated. Generally, long-term survivors of childhood cancer have a 30-40% risk of school-related problems. Moreover, children treated for ALL with cranial irradiation have 3-4 times the risk of school problems relative to those who are not irradiated. Early identification of problems would facilitate referrals for appropriate intervention and hopefully minimize future difficulties.