In children and teenagers, leukaemia accounts for roughly one out of every 3 cancer cases. Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common kind of leukaemia in kids. Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) makes up the majority of the remaining cases. In children, chronic leukaemias are uncommon.
A few factors are known to increase the risk of childhood leukaemia.
Genetic Risk Factors
Our DNA, which makes up our genes, contains risk factors that are genetic in nature. They are frequently passed on from our parents. While some genetic predispositions raise the incidence of paediatric leukaemia, the majority of leukaemias have no known genetic basis.
Genetic Syndromes
Some genetic disorders increase a child’s risk of developing leukemia:
Down syndrome (trisomy 21): Children with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21. They are many times more likely to develop either acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) than are other children, with an overall risk of about 2% to 3%. Down syndrome has also been linked with transient leukemia (also known as transient myeloproliferative disorder) – a leukemia-like condition within the first month of life, which often resolves on its own without treatment.
Li-Fraumeni syndrome: This is a rare inherited condition caused by a change in the TP53 gene. People with this change have a higher risk of developing several kinds of cancer, including leukemia, bone or soft tissue sarcomas, breast cancer, adrenal gland cancer, and brain tumors.
Leukaemia risk is also elevated in other genetic illnesses (including neurofibromatosis and Fanconi anaemia), as well as in several other malignancies.
Inherited Immune System Problems
Certain inherited conditions cause children to be born with immune system problems. These include:
- Ataxia-telangiectasia
- Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
- Bloom syndrome
- Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
Along with an increased risk of getting serious infections from reduced immune defenses, these children might also have an increased risk of leukemia.
Lifestyle-Related Risk Factors
Smoking, being overweight, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, and being exposed to the sun too much are all lifestyle-related risk factors for several adult malignancies. However, they are unlikely to have an impact on the majority of children malignancies. These types of characteristics are significant in many adult cancers.
Although not all studies have established a correlation, some have suggested that a pregnant woman who drinks a lot of alcohol may put her unborn child at risk for leukaemia.
Environmental Risk Factors
Environmental risk factors are influences in our surroundings, such as radiation and certain chemicals that increase the risk of getting diseases such as leukemias.
Radiation Exposure
Exposure to high levels of radiation is a risk factor for childhood leukemia. Japanese atomic bomb survivors had a greatly increased risk of developing AML. If a fetus is exposed to radiation within the first months of development, there may also be an increased risk of childhood leukemia, but the extent of the risk is not clear.
The possible risks from fetal or childhood exposure to lower levels of radiation, such as from x-ray tests or CT scans, are not known for sure. Some studies have found a slight increase in risk, while others have found no increased risk. Any risk increase is likely to be small, but to be safe, most doctors recommend that pregnant women and children not get these tests unless they are absolutely needed.
Exposure to Chemotherapy and Certain other Chemicals
Children and adults treated for other cancers with certain chemotherapy drugs have a higher risk of getting a second cancers, usually AML, later in life. Drugs such as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, etoposide, and teniposide have been linked to a higher risk of leukemia. These leukemias usually develop within 5 to 10 years of treatment, and they tend to be hard to treat.
Exposure to chemicals such as benzene (a solvent used in the cleaning industry and to manufacture some drugs, plastics, and dyes) may cause acute leukemia in adults and, rarely, in children. Chemical exposure is more strongly linked to an increased risk of AML than to ALL.
A number of studies have discovered a potential connection between pesticide exposure in the home during pregnancy or the early years of life and childhood leukaemia. There may be a higher probability among moms who are exposed to pesticides at work before giving birth, according to some research.
Immune System Suppression
Children who are getting intensive treatment to suppress their immune system (mainly children who have had organ transplants) have an increased risk of certain cancers, such as lymphoma and ALL.
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