| Leukemia is a disease that is considered to | | | | |
| be life-threatening. It requires prompt | | | | - Prolonged exposure to radiation - Radiation |
| intervention when discovered, in order to | | | | is considered to facilitate the development |
| maximize the chances of recovering through | | | | of leukemia. It is believed that exposure to |
| specific treatment and therapy. Leukemia is | | | | X-rays can be a leukemia cause; |
| basically a type of cancer of the bone marrow | | | | |
| and blood, caused by inappropriate cellular | | | | - Prolonged exposure to benzene - statistics |
| activity. The disease can be of different | | | | reveal that this is a major factor of risk in |
| forms, according to the types of blood cells | | | | some forms of leukemia, such as myelogenous |
| that cause its development. Also, if leukemia | | | | leukemia; |
| is developing rapidly, it is called acute | | | | |
| leukemia, while if the disease is developing | | | | - Chemotherapy and cancer treatment - |
| slowly, it is referred to as chronic | | | | previous cancer treatments and chemotherapy |
| leukemia. | | | | are known to facilitate the occurrence and |
| | | | development of leukemia and can be considered |
| The direct leukemia causes are still unknown. | | | | plausible leukemia causes. Within a few years |
| In present, medical science isn't able to | | | | from the completion of chemotherapy and other |
| establish the specific leukemia causes. | | | | treatments for certain forms of cancer, most |
| However, a strong connection between certain | | | | people can develop leukemia. |
| genetic factors and the development of the | | | | |
| disease has been revealed. Leukemia occurs on | | | | Among the genetic factors that are considered |
| the background of genetic failure that causes | | | | to be leukemia causes, the following ones are |
| the excessive production of incomplete, | | | | thought to be the most important: |
| partially matured blood cells. Also, leukemia | | | | |
| has a hereditary character, allowing the | | | | - chromosome abnormalities - some rare |
| transmission of genetic predispositions to | | | | genetic syndromes are known to contribute to |
| disease from one generation to another. | | | | leukemia causes; |
| Although many factors are known to contribute | | | | |
| to the development of leukemia, they alone | | | | - Immune system genetic problems - a weak |
| can't be considered leukemia causes. | | | | immune system is very likely to facilitate |
| | | | the occurrence of leukemia and therefore can |
| Despite the fact that statistics indicate a | | | | be considered a leukemia cause; |
| higher incidence of the disease in people | | | | |
| that are exposed to some environmental | | | | - Down syndrome - children born with this |
| factors of risk, leukemia doesn't seem to be | | | | syndrome have a very high risk of developing |
| caused by neither of them in particular. | | | | acute leukemia. |
| Among the environmental factors that are | | | | |
| thought to be leukemia causes, here are some | | | | The list of possible leukemia causes can |
| of the most plausible ones: | | | | continue further, but these are the most |
| | | | common factors that are considered to be |
| - Smoking - smoking is thought to increase | | | | interrelated with leukemia. While some of |
| the chances of being affected by leukemia. | | | | them can be prevented, others reside within |
| Although statistics show that around 20 | | | | the genes and in present can't be corrected. |
| percent of acute leukemia cases are related | | | | In future, however, thanks to medical |
| to smoking, leukemia also occurs to people | | | | advance, we will probably be able to prevent |
| that don't smoke and therefore it can't be | | | | leukemia and other forms of cancer. |
| considered a leukemia cause on itself; | | | | |