Response rates to treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia

In general, about 80% to 90% of adults will have complete remissions at some point during these treatments. This means leukemia cells can no longer be seen in their bone marrow. Unfortunately, about half of these patients relapse, so the overall cure rate is around 40%. Again, these rates vary depending on the subtype of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and other prognostic factors. For example, cure rates tend to be higher in younger patients and lower in older patients.