Getting diagnosed

Screening for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)

There is no national screening programme for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in the UK. This is because there isn’t a test that can pick up ALL at an early stage.

What is cancer screening?

Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease. This is before they have any symptoms. For screening to be useful the tests:

need to be reliable at picking up cancers
overall must do more good than harm to people taking part
must be something that people are willing to do

Screening tests are not perfect and have some risks. The screening programme should also be good value for money for the NHS.

Why isn't there a screening programme for ALL?

There is no national screening programme for ALL in the UK at the moment because:

ALL is rare, so many people would have unnecessary tests
there isn’t a test that can pick up ALL at an early stage
the cost of screening would be high

See your GP if you have symptoms and are worried about cancer. They can arrange for you to have blood tests or other tests depending on your symptoms, such as an ultrasound scan. They may refer you to see a specialist.

Read about the possible symptoms of ALL

With rare cancers, it is better to screen people who are thought to be at a higher risk. Talk to your GP if you think you are at a higher than average risk of ALL.

Find out about the risks and causes of ALL

For information and support, you can contact the Cancer Research UK information nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

What screening programmes are there in the UK?

There are 3 national screening programmes in the UK:

Bowel cancer screening is offered to people. The programme sends a testing kit every 2 years to people eligible to take part. The age you start having bowel cancer screening depends on where you live in the UK.
Breast cancer screening is offered to women, some transgender men and some non-binary people aged 50-70.
Cervical screening is offered to women, some transgender men and some non-binary people aged 25-64.

Find out more about screening for cancer

Lung cancer screening is being introduced in some parts of the UK. The UK National Screening Committee recommends lung cancer screening for people who have a high risk of lung cancer. It will take a while for screening to be rolled out across all the UK but in parts of England and Wales some people are being invited for a Lung Health Check.

More information about lung cancer screening and Lung Health Checks

You will only be invited for screening if you are registered with a GP. If you aren’t registered, you can find a local GP on the NHS website.

Last reviewed: 21 May 2024

Next review due: 21 May 2027

What is ALL?

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is a type of blood cancer. It starts from young white blood cells called lymphocytes in the bone marrow.

Risks and causes of ALL

We don’t know what causes most cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). But there are some factors that may increase your risk of developing it. These include certain genetic conditions, previous chemotherapy treatment and ionising radiation.

Getting diagnosed with ALL

You usually see your GP or go to A&E if you have symptoms of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Learn what to expect when seeing your GP, getting referred to a specialist, and the tests you might have.

Treatment for ALL

The main treatment for ALL is chemotherapy. But you may also have a targeted cancer drug, immunotherapy, or a stem cell transplant. Find out how your doctor chooses your treatment, treatment side effects and follow up.

ALL in children

Find out about childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, how it is diagnosed and treated, and resources and organisations that can help you cope.

Main ALL page

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) starts from young white blood cells called lymphocytes in the bone marrow. Find out about symptoms, tests to diagnose, treatments and how to cope.