Final answer:
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has a worse prognosis in infants under 1 year of age and adults over 50, due to factors like genetics, response to treatments, and overall health. This type of cancer predominantly affects children, but adults may also be diagnosed with it. ALL impairs proper immune function through the overproduction of immature white blood cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer that affects the white blood cells and is more common in children. When considering the age ranges at which ALL has a worse prognosis, the outcomes are typically less favorable in adults than in children. Specifically, infants under 1 year old and adults over the age of 50 are known to have a worse prognosis. This can be attributed to various factors, including the genetic abnormalities present in the leukemia cells, the response to treatment, and overall general health. Patients in these age groups tend to have more aggressive disease biology and may not respond as well to the treatment protocols designed for ALL.
While ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer, accounting for about one-third of all cancers in children, adults can also develop ALL. Cancer prognosis is generally determined by numerous factors, including patient age, cancer subtype, and treatment response. Leukemia involves an abnormal proliferation and accumulation of leukocytes, which can be of the myeloid or lymphoid line, and in ALL, it specifically involves the lymphoid line, leading to an overproduction of immature white blood cells that do not function properly.