Can i catch leukemia

Get Involved. Cancer Biology Research. Cancer Genomics Research. Research on Causes of Cancer. Cancer Prevention Research. Cancer Treatment Research. Cancer Health Disparities. Childhood Cancers Research.

Global Cancer Research. Cancer Research Infrastructure. Clinical Trials. Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. Bioinformatics, Big Data, and Cancer. Annual Report to the Nation. Research Advances by Cancer Type. Stories of Discovery. Milestones in Cancer Research and Discovery. Biomedical Citizen Science. Director's Message. Budget Proposal. Stories of Cancer Research. Driving Discovery. Highlighted Scientific Opportunities.

Research Grants. Research Funding Opportunities. Cancer Grand Challenges. Research Program Contacts. Funding Strategy. Grants Policies and Process. Introduction to Grants Process. NCI Grant Policies. Legal Requirements. Step 3: Peer Review and Funding Outcomes. Manage Your Award. Grants Management Contacts. Prior Approvals.

Annual Reporting and Auditing. Transfer of a Grant. Grant Closeout. Cancer Training at NCI. Resources for Trainees. Funding for Cancer Training.

How Do You Get Leukemia? Risk Factors. There may be different risk factors for different types of leukemia, including: Radiation: Exposure to very high levels of radiation can lead to acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, or acute lymphocytic leukemia.

CT scans: Recent research suggests that children who undergo CT scans may have a higher risk of developing leukemia later in life, but more research is needed to confirm this.

Smoking: Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of acute myeloid leukemia. It's also found in cigarette smoke and gasoline. Exposure to benzene in the workplace can cause acute myeloid leukemia. It may also cause chronic myeloid leukemia or acute lymphocytic leukemia. Gender : Men are more likely than woman to develop leukemia. Age : The risk of most leukemias increase with age. However, most cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia ALL occur in people under 20 years old. The median age of an ALL patient at diagnosis is Blood disorders : Certain blood disorders, including chronic myeloproliferative disorders such as polycythemia vera, idiopathic myelofibrosis and essential thrombocytopenia increase the chances of developing AML.

Family history : Most leukemias have no familial link. However, if you are a first-degree relative of a CLL patient, or if you have an identical twin who has or had AML or ALL, you may be at an increased risk for developing the disease. Congenital syndromes : Some congenital syndromes including Down syndrome, Fanconi anemia, Bloom syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia and Blackfan-Diamond syndrome seem to raise the risk of AML.

Smoking : Although smoking may not be a direct cause of leukemia, smoking cigarettes does increase the risk of developing AML. Radiation : Exposure to high-energy radiation e. Chemicals : Long-term exposure to certain pesticides or industrial chemicals like benzene is considered a risk for leukemia.