Results of a study at St. Jude show why imatinib (Gleevec) is unable to prevent the relapse of an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Imatinib has improved the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) dramatically.

CML and an aggressive form of ALL share the same mutation, the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph). Ph-postiive cells produce a growth-promoting enzyme BCR-ABL. However, in some aggressive cases of ALL, Ph-positive cells lack a tumor suppressor gene called Arf, which is present in CML cells, say the researchers.

The paper's first author, Richard T. Williams, says that doctors might be able to identify those people with ALL who lack Arf.

Chaos Fox hosts a lovely blog where she writes about her trials and tribulations of motherhood, the joys of housecleaning and living through  leukemia with her young son. At 2 1/2, several days before Christmas, she went to wake him up for the morning, only to find him curled in his crib, pale and unresponsive. She took him to the doctor where he was immediately transfered to a PICU, hooked up to multiple machines and tested for a plethora of maladies. He was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and when he was well enough he began on a regimen of chemotherapy. His first stint in the hospital lasted for over a month, both parents traded shifts -one to be with the baby and the other to ride herd on their 5 and 12 year-old sons. To kill the blast cells deep in the bone marrow is a long and difficult process, Chaos Fox and her family supported their youngest as he had chemo inserted through a tube in his chest, and more chemo in oral medications, chemo  shots in his thigh muscles, and bone marrow biopsies. And after the many chemotherapy sessions there was an additional surgery on both of his eyes. While this process must have been heartbreaking and grueling for the family, Chaos Fox writes of how they deliberately kept everything very low key in an attempt to provide comfort for the baby and stability for the other children. It was not an easy journey and that sort of experience leaves lasting imprints on all members of the family, but as she writes of the celebration cake they had for their son this past July, he is now 6, there is palpable joy in her zest for her family. Stop by her blog to read more.

Before we begin, you need to know, that although Deb's bank checks identify her as the "Queen of the Universe" - no lie, that is what is printed on her checks - she would much prefer to be known as the "Queen of Delft." Deb is a single mom to the beautiful Zoe, a 5 year-old child she adores and loves beyond measure. In October 2005, when Deb was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, she was told they could not live together, the risk of infection for Deb was too great. The months between then and now have been filled with chemotherapy, and missing Zoe, and waiting for the stem cell transplant. In all of that, Deb has been trying to focus on the positive and share with her blog readers what she has learned when it comes to appreciating life. As Deb says, "appreciate everything little and small, joyous, precious, amazing, silly, frustrating and annoying. You can take nothing in life for granted, so choose to enjoy it the best you can with what you have."

Today, Deb underwent the stem cell transplant. She is calling it her "Re-Birthday," a day of new beginnings, of brand new cells, of non-diseased cells. Keri, of Still Running For A Reason, asks everyone who can, to go over to Deb's Debutaunt blog and bring her some prayers -- and to leave a birthday money donation before you go. Deb is a single mom, who cannot work, who is responsible for providing for little Zoe, and who faces major medical bills for the treatment of a major disease. But most of all, because it's Deb's new cells birthday. The first day of hope in what seems like an eternity of lonely and fear-filled uncertainty. Happy Birthday to the Queen of Delft's new cells!

Good news for Friday the 13th. The once mostly fatal childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), will possilbly reach a 90 percent cure rate in the very near future. This is due to  improvements with diagnosis and treatment throughout the past forty years. Almost 4,000 cases of ALL are reported in the United States each year, and two-thirds of these cases are adolescents and children. This makes it the most prevalent cancer for these age groups. The advancements in treatments, genetic technologies, personalized care, since 1962 is responsible for this wonderful increase in survival rate, from 4 percent to the 90 percent we will soon be seeing.