What are the differences?
ALL is also called acute lymphocytic leukemia.
CLL is the most common form of leukemia cancer affecting adults.
Verywell / Laura Porter
ALL primarily affects children, although it can occur in adults.
Learn more about the differences between ALL and CLL, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
Additionally, ALL can also cause pain in the joints or bones.
It can be challenging to distinguish between the two cancers.
However, the persons age can provide an important clue.
A critical difference between ALL and CLL is that ALL is an acute form of leukemia.
However, they do have slightly different risk factors.
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Experts dont quite know exactly what causes ALL.
However, because they may affect different age groups, these cancers require different treatment approaches.
ALL Treatment
The treatment approach for ALL depends on a person’s risk group.
Very high-risk individuals usually receive more aggressive treatment.
In some cases, doctors will recommend a wait-and-see approach since CLL is a slow-growing cancer.
Prevention
There is no known way to prevent either ALL or CLL.
Likewise, theres no way to change your lifestyle to prevent either of these cancers.
Summary
ALL and CLL are both cancers that affect the bone marrow and blood.
ALL is an acute form of leukemia that progresses rapidly, while CLL is slow-growing.
Doctors treat ALL more aggressively than CLL because it spreads more rapidly.
In some cases, they may opt for a wait-and-see approach with CLL.
Also, seek support from friends and family or resources such as support groups.
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American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
KidsHealth.Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
American Cancer Society.Risk factors for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
American Cancer Society.What are the risk factors for chronic lymphocytic leukemia?
National Cancer Institute.Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment (PDQ)-patient version.
National Cancer Institute.Chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment (PDQ)-patient version.
American Cancer Society.Tests for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
American Cancer Society.Tests for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
