Diagnosed at 21: A Young Adult’s Journey with Blood Cancer

Just two weeks after his 21st birthday, William, now 28 years old, was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), a subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) — a rare fast-growing type of blood cancer that develops in the bone marrow, where blood cells are made.¹ B-ALL is the most common subtype of ALL, accounting for up to 75% of adult cases and 80% of pediatric cases.^2-4

Diagnosed at a pivotal moment in early adulthood, William underwent a range of treatments over the course of three years, experiencing multiple periods of remission and relapse. Today, he sees a survivorship doctor once a year and continues to navigate the uncertainty that can remain long after treatment ends.

Now in remission, William is sharing his story to help raise awareness of B-ALL and support other adolescents and young adults facing similar challenges. Through reflection and advocacy, he hopes his experience can offer perspective, encouragement and a reminder of the importance of having a promising outlook throughout the cancer journey.

For more information on B-ALL, please visit Amgen.com.

References:

1. Jiwani N, Gupta K, Pau G, et al. Pattern Recognition of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Using Computational Deep Learning. IEEE Access. 2023;11;29521-29593.
2. Anilkumar K, Manoj VJ, Sagi TM. Automated detection of B cell and T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia using deep learning. Innov Res Biomed Eng. 2022;43(5):405-513.
3. Tasian SK, Hunger SP. Genomic characterization of paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: an opportunity for precision medicine therapeutics. Br J Haematol. 2017;176(6):867-882.
4. Terwilliger T, Abdul-Hay M. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a comprehensive review and 2017 update. Blood Cancer J. 2017;30(7).