APL is a blood and bone marrow cancer and is the type of cancer that Kate suffers from. It is a rare form of leukemia, especially among children as young as Kate, who is diagnosed at the age of two. Although Kate receives a poor prognosis and is initially not expected to live past the age of five, in real life, APL is actually known as a fairly treatable cancer with low rates of relapse. However, its acuteness means that it progresses quickly and leads to rapid death without quick treatment.
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Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) Term Timeline in My Sister’s Keeper
The timeline below shows where the term Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) appears in My Sister’s Keeper. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
1. Monday: Anna
...which meant her entire family always had death on the mind. Kate was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia when she was two and is now 16. While she is currently in remission,...
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3. 1990: Sara
...some other aspects of her tests, leads Dr. Farquad to believe that Kate has leukemia—specifically, acute promyelocytic leukemia. Brian asks if Kate is going to die, to which Dr. Farquad explains that...
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6. 1990: Sara
...than the doctors, provide them the vital information. One nurse explains the aggressive nature of acute promyelocytic leukemia and warns that there are “no guarantees,” while another outlines the side effects of...
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23. 1997: Sara
...of a bone marrow transplant. Sara says that the review board clearly doesn’t have an APL specialist, since one would know that a donor lymphocyte infusion is useless, meaning that the...
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