When the DNA of the white blood cells are damaged caused by mutagens, they start to divide rapidly, ignoring the signals from the chemicals within the cells to stop. Unlike normal cells, these damage cells do not die after certain period of time, and continues to divide at an abnormal rate. Soon, these faulty cells occupy significant amount of space, resulting into less space for the healthy blood cells, which often start to malfunction as well.
Although the specific causes of leukemia are unknown, some suspected triggers are:
Although the specific causes of leukemia are unknown, some suspected triggers are:
- Artificial ionizing radiation
- Viruses - HTLV-1 (human T-lymphotropic virus) and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
- Benzene and some petrochemicals
- Chemotherapy agents used in previous cancers
- Maternal fetal transmission (not common)
- Hair dyes
- Genetic predisposition - some studies indicate that twins may have higher risk of leukemia because of single gene or multiple genes
Created by: Minzee Kim