Which statement is true about acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adults?

• A. It is easier to cure in adults than in children
• B. It has the same remission rate in adults and children
• C. It is more difficult to cure in adults; about 90% remission occurs in children
• D. It never achieves remission in adults

Answer: (C)

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia behaves differently by age, and prognosis is much better in children than in adults. Modern multi-agent therapy yields high remission and long-term cure rates in pediatric ALL—roughly around 85–90% long-term control. In adults, even when induction therapy produces remission, the overall cure rate is lower due to differences in leukemia biology, higher treatment-related toxicity, and more comorbidities. So the statement that ALL is more difficult to cure in adults, with children achieving about 90% remission, fits the real pattern: adults have poorer long-term outcomes, while children frequently achieve durable remission or cure. The other options overstate or misconstrue the situation, since remission can occur in adults, and adults do not have higher or equivalent cure rates compared with children.