Causes of Leukemia
Leukemia is a bone marrow cancer that causes due to the increase in abnormal white blood cells. Leukemia occurs when the normal cells in bone marrow are replaced by great number abnormal white blood cells, and that leads the reduction in blood platelets. These blood platelets performs very vital role in blood clotting process. Hence, people with leukemia always suffer from excessive bleeding. There are many risk factors responsible for leukemia. The major causes are discussed below:
Risk factors for Leukemia
- Chemical exposure: Researchers have studied that some of the cases of leukemia are the result of frequent exposure to some specific chemicals like benzene. People who are working in chemical factories and laboratories are at high risk of getting affected by chemicals and suffer from leukemia. However, some cases show that these types of exposure haven't caused any symptom of leukemia in humans.
- Exposure to radiation : Radioactive rays can cause leukemia if a person experiences prolonged exposure to radiation. Radiation therapy or radioactive rays are used in diagnostic tests CT scans and imaging tests. Hence, proper method is applied while exposing to the radiation.
- Chemotherapy : People who have gone through chemotherapy treatment are more likely to have leukemia. Drug like topoisomerase inhibitors is used in chemotherapy treatment. These types of drugs are helpful in treating cancers, but later they can cause some symptoms of leukemia.
- Genetics : Genetical inheritance of leukemia disease is also found in some people. People who are from the family that have history of leukemia disease in family members are more susceptible for getting leukemia easily.
- Down syndrome : People who are affected by Down syndrome have more chances to get leukemia. Experts believe that these people showed more cases of leukemia than other normal people. Moreover, chromosomal abnormalities also increase leukemia chances.
- Electromagnetic Energy : Researches have been done to check whether electromagnetic can causes leukemia. However, it directly cannot be responsible for the same disease, but it can contribute in increasing the risk of getting leukemia to a person.
- Myelodypslastic syndrome : It is a type of blood disease that increases the risk of getting leukemia. It is a result of dysfunction in marrow that includes the underproduction of different cells in blood.
- Human T-cell leukemia virus-I (HTLV-I) : This virus is rarely found in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cases.
- Medical Disorders : Some medicines are considered as the risk factors of leukemia. These medicines include antibiotics and inhibitors that affect the soft bone tissues.
- Smoking : Smoking cigarettes is one of the most common causes of leukemia. However, there are some cases that show that people who smoke have never been affected by leukemia.
To conclude, leukemia cancer can be caused due to several other factors that are responsible for any type of cancer in humans. These risk factors vary in their effectiveness as per the patient's age, health and medical history. Hence, most of the people who have gone through leukemia do not get affected by the same risk factors after they are recovered from the disease.
