Causes and Risk Factors

The causes of leukemia are not known. However, several factors have been identified which may increase your risk. These include:

• family history of leukemia
• smoking (AML)
• genetic disorders such as Down syndrome
• blood disorders - myelodysplastic syndromes are sometimes known as pre-leukemia
• prior treatment for cancer with chemotherapy or radiation
• exposure to high levels of radiation
• chemical exposures, such as to benzene