A risk factor is something that raises a person's chances of getting a disease or health problem. A person can have leukemia with or without the risks below. The more risks a person has, the greater the chances are.
Leukemia is most common in adults aged 60 years and older. However, acute lymphoblastic leukemia happens most often in children under 8 years old. Males carry a slightly higher risk than females.
Things that raise the risk of most types of leukemia are:
Smoking
Smoking lets harmful chemicals into the body. Current or past smoking is strongly linked to acute myeloid leukemias and chronic myeloid leukemia. The risk is higher with the number of cigarettes smoked and years as a smoker.
Exposures
Being around benzene is strongly linked to leukemia. Benzene is found in gasoline, wood smoke, tobacco smoke, exhaust from cars, and well water. It is also used to make plastics, nylon fibers, dyes, and pesticides. Benzene can be taken into the body through the skin or lungs.
People who have survived nuclear accidents or explosions also have a higher risk. Fallout from radiation stays in the environment for years.
Medical Care
Some treatments that may increase the risk are:
- Certain tests during doctor or dental visits such as x-rays or scans
- Prior chemotherapy (rare)
Genetics/Family History
Having certain genetic diseases can make the risk higher.
These may include:
- Down syndrome
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Li-Fraumeni syndrome
- Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
- Ataxia-telangiectasia
- Neurofibromatosis
- Fanconi anemia
A family history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may raise the risk of CLL.
References
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoblastic lymphoma (ALL/LBL) in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia-lymphoblastic-lymphoma-all-lbl-in-adults. Accessed April 17, 2022.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/acute-myeloid-leukemia-aml. Accessed April 17, 2022.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia-cll-small-lymphocytic-lymphoma-sll. Accessed April 17, 2022.
Chronic myeloid leukemia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/chronic-myeloid-leukemia-cml. Accessed April 17, 2022.
Overview of leukemia. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology-and-oncology/leukemias/overview-of-leukemia. Updated December 2018. Accessed April 17, 2022.
Zatloukalová S, Azeem K, et al. Epidemiology, risk factors and possibilities for the prevention of acute leukaemia. Epidemiol Mikrobiol Imunol. 2021;70(3):208-220.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Mohei Abouzied, MD, FACP
- Update Date: 04/17/2022