Leukemia is a disease that is considered life-threatening. When discovered, it requires immediate intervention to maximize the chances of recovery with specific treatment and therapy. Leukemia is basically a type of cancer of the bone marrow and blood, caused by inappropriate cellular activity. The disease can take different forms, depending on the types of blood cells that cause its development. Also, if the leukemia develops rapidly, it is called acute leukemia, while if the disease develops slowly, it is referred to as chronic leukemia.
The direct causes of leukemia are still unknown. Currently, medical science is unable to determine the specific causes of leukemia. However, a strong link between certain genetic factors and the development of the disease has been revealed. Leukemia occurs against the background of a genetic failure that causes excessive production of incomplete, partially mature blood cells. Leukemia is also hereditary, allowing the transmission of genetic predispositions to the disease from one generation to the next. Although many factors are known to contribute to the development of leukemia, they cannot be considered the causes of leukemia by themselves.
Despite the fact that statistics show a higher incidence of the disease in people who are exposed to certain environmental risk factors, leukemia does not appear to be caused by any of them. Among the environmental factors that are thought to cause leukemia, here are some of the most likely:
– Smoking – smoking is thought to increase the likelihood of developing leukemia. Although statistics show that approximately 20 percent of acute leukemia cases are related to smoking, leukemia also occurs in people who do not smoke and therefore cannot be considered the sole cause of leukemia;
– Long-term exposure to radiation – Radiation is thought to facilitate the development of leukemia. Exposure to X-rays is thought to be a cause of leukemia;
– Long-term exposure to benzene – statistics show that it is a major risk factor for some forms of leukemia, such as myeloid leukemia;
- Chemotherapy and cancer treatment - previous cancer treatment and chemotherapy are known to facilitate the occurrence and development of leukemia and can be considered as probable causes of leukemia. Within a few years of finishing chemotherapy and other treatments for certain forms of cancer, most people can develop leukemia.
Among the genetic factors that are thought to cause leukemia, the following are considered to be the most important:
– chromosomal abnormalities – some rare genetic syndromes are known to contribute to the causes of leukemia;
- Genetic problems of the immune system - a weak immune system is very likely to facilitate the occurrence of leukemia and therefore can be considered as the cause of leukemia;
– Down syndrome – children born with this syndrome have a very high risk of developing acute leukemia.
The list of possible causes of leukemia can go on, but these are the most common factors that are thought to be interrelated with leukemia. While some of these can be prevented, others reside in the genes and cannot currently be corrected. However, in the future, thanks to medical advances, we will probably be able to prevent leukemia and other forms of cancer.
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