The poor treatment effect and short survival period of patients with acute leukemia are mainly due to the lack of effective early diagnosis and treatment targets. Lipid metabolism reprogramming meets the material and energy requirements for rapid proliferation and division of tumor cells, and is associated with the invasiveness, recurrence, and chemotherapy resistance of acute leukemia. This article reviews the carcinogenic and chemotherapy resistance mechanisms of lipid metabolism reprogramming in leukemia cells, and summarizes the latest findings on targeted fatty acid metabolism pathways, aiming to provide a new perspective on the role of intracellular fatty acid metabolism in the occurrence and development of acute leukemia. It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the elucidation of its resistance mechanism and the development of corresponding targeted therapies.