MSFinals-4520

During your ward round on the paediatric unit you review a 7-year-old African American male who has been admitted for chemotherapy as he has recently been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). His father anxiously asks you what his chance of survival is and how you determine this.

Upon reviewing the patient’s medical records, you notice that he is on the 10th percentile for weight and the 25th percentile for height. His white cell count at diagnosis was 15 * 10^9/l and there were no noted T or B cell markers on his blood film.

What is the poor prognostic factor in this case?