The PETALE study is interested in the long-term side effects of survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This study first started in 1989, and examines survivors that were 19 years old or younger at the time of the diagnosis. Also, to qualify this study, they must have been in remission for a minimum of five years. This accounts for approximately 350 patients from the CHU Sainte-Justine.
It is important to mention that in recent years, more than 85% of children diagnosed with ALL survive due to improvements of new treatments. However, the medical and psychosocial drawbacks associated with this disease and treatments can be of major significance.
The main objective of this study is to examine if genetic or biological factors can predict the development of known medical complications found in ALL survivors, such as: cardiac complications, a metabolic syndrome, bone complications, and neurocognitive impairments.
