Types of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

To help plan your treatment, your team will use your test results to tell which subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) you have. Fred Hutch Cancer Center hematologist-oncologists care for patients with all subtypes of ALL, from more common to rare ones.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Care Tailored to You

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Overview of ALL Types

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is divided into subtypes based on:

  • Which type of lymphocyte the leukemic cells come from (B cells or T cells)
  • How mature the leukemic cells are
  • If the cells have chromosomal abnormalities (mutations)

Most people with ALL — about 80% — have a B-cell subtype. Some subtypes have an unusual number of chromosomes. In other subtypes, two chromosomes exchange DNA, which is called a translocation.

B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

B-cell ALL starts in immature cells that would otherwise develop into B-cell lymphocytes. B-cell ALL is the most common subtype of ALL.

Learn About B-cell ALL

Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive ALL

About 25% of adult ALL patients have Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL (Ph+ ALL). This subtype has a chromosome change that creates a gene called BCR-ABL.

Learn About Ph+ ALL

T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

T-cell ALL starts in immature cells that would otherwise develop into T-cell lymphocytes. It is a less common subtype of ALL and happens more often in adults than children.

Learn About T-cell ALL

Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia

Mixed phenotype acute leukemia is a very rare subtype that is only about 2–5% of cases. It is diagnosed when someone has more than one type of leukemia at the same time or if their cancer cells have features of more than one type: both acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).