While many cases of leukemias don’t have a known cause, some conditions or characteristics increase the risk of developing the disease.
Remember that not everyone with one of these risk factors will develop leukemia, and not everyone who develops leukemia will have one of these risk factors.
- Age, race, and gender. Being middle-aged or older, white, or male are risk factors for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Being older and male is a risk factor for hairy cell leukemia.
- A family history of leukemias. If you have a sibling or parent with one of these diseases, you are more likely to get them yourself.
- Ethnicity. Having relatives who are Russian Jews or Eastern European Jews is a risk factor for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
- Past treatment for another cancer. Treatments for other cancers may increase risk for a blood related cancer.
Learn more about leukemia:
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