More specifically, children who grew up in cleaner households during their first year and interacted less with other children are more likely to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the paper says. The author, Institute of Cancer Research Professor Mel Greaves, suggests the cancer could be preventable.
Causes of leukaemia
The cause of acute leukaemia is unknown, but factors that put some people at higher risk are: exposure to intense radiation. exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene. viruses like the Human T-Cell leukaemia virus.
In addition to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation, exposure to the following environmental factors may increase the risk of developing leukemia: Certain chemotherapy drugs. Petrochemicals (such as benzene) Tobacco smoke.
Among environmental factors, benzene, ionising radiation and pesticide exposure have been explored. Workers exposed to benzene have shown higher leukaemia incidence.
While the exact cause of leukemia—or any cancer, for that matter—is unknown, there are several risk factors that have been identified, such as radiation exposure, previous cancer treatment and being over the age of 65.
Rates of leukemia, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML), have been found to be higher in studies of workers exposed to high levels of benzene, such as those in the chemical, shoemaking, and oil refining industries.
Who gets leukemia? Although it is often thought of as a children's disease, most cases of leukemia occur in older adults. More than half of all leukemia cases occur in people over the age of 65.
Age – Generally speaking, individuals over the age of 65 are more at risk for leukemia. Demographics – While anyone can conceivably develop leukemia, white males are statistically most susceptible. Radiation exposure – Exposure to radiation from an atomic bomb increases the likelihood that leukemia cells will form.
Many studies suggest that short sleep duration increases the risk of cancer whereas some find associations between certain cancers and long sleep duration. Other studies find no definite link at all between how long we sleep for and our risk of cancer.
Many people don't have any symptoms for at least a few years. In time, the cells can spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen.
There is no known way to prevent most cases of leukemia at this time. Most people who get acute lymphocytic leukemia have no known risk factors, so there is no way to prevent these leukemias from developing.
Certain inherited conditions can increase the risk of developing leukemia, but most childhood leukemias do not seem to be caused by inherited mutations. Usually, DNA mutations related to leukemia develop after conception rather than having been inherited.
Adults between the age of 65 and 74 have the highest risk of developing leukemia. Chronic leukemia, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is the most common type of leukemia seen in people over the age of 50, with the median age of diagnosis being around 71.
Increasingly, researchers are finding that leukemia may run in a family due to inherited gene mutations. AML occurs more often in people with the following inherited disorders: Down syndrome. Ataxia telangiectasia.
Acute leukemia symptoms can often appear suddenly
You may suddenly spike a fever that won't go away, develop an infection for no apparent reason, or start bleeding spontaneously from your nose or gums and not be able to stop it.
Leukemia starts in the soft, inner part of the bones (bone marrow), but often moves quickly into the blood. It can then spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system and other organs.
Common leukemia signs and symptoms include: Fever or chills. Persistent fatigue, weakness. Frequent or severe infections.
Avoid or lower exposure to chemicals that may raise the risk for leukemia, such as benzene and formaldehyde. Lower any exposure to pesticides. Stay physically active and follow a healthy diet. Both these lifestyle elements have been proven to reduce cancer risk in general.
Cancer cells consume sugar at a higher rate than healthy cells, but they're also hungry for amino acids, the building blocks of proteins and other biomolecules.
6. Is leukemia curable if caught early? If caught early, leukemia can be cured by undergoing several cancer treatments.
The authors of the Mount Sinai/Brazilian hospitals study believe there is a chance that COVID may cause an abnormal immune response in the body that could trigger the cell mutations that cause leukemia. But no cause has been definitively found to explain a connection.