The cancer of the early blood-forming cells that develop in the bone marrow is termed leukemia. This is a cancer of the white blood cells in general, but it can also involve another blood cell. The causes include several environmental, genetic, and infections risk factors. This paper briefly discusses the environmental risk factors involved in acute lymphocytic or acute myelogenous leukemia. In order to find the etiology of the disease, there are several epidemiologic studies conducted all over the world.
According to a study conducted by Belson, et al. (2007) only one environmental risk factor (ionizing radiation) is linked with either acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). This study also took into consideration other environmental risk factors such as electromagnetic fields, nonionizing radiation, hydrocarbons, pesticides, alcohol use, cigarette smoking, and illicit drug use. They found that these actors have been weakly or inconsistently linked with both the form of childhood leukemia.
In general, this cancer results from the damage done to DNA by an external factor particularly radiation that results in uncontrolled cellular growth and spread throughout the body. Ionizing radiation has been reported as the major environmental factor responsible for childhood leukemia by a number of researchers such as Mahoney et al. (2004), Ron (1998), and Sali et al. (1996). The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (1994) has also confirmed this fact. However, the amount of radiation exposure or the dose, the duration of exposure, and the age of the individual determine the magnitude of the risk (Belson, et al., 2007).
References
Belson, M., Kingsley, B. and Holmes, A. (2007). Risk Factors for Acute Leukemia in Children: A Review, Environmental Health Perspectives, VOL.115 (1)| 138-145.
Mahoney M.C., et al. (2004). The Chernobyl childhood leukemia study: background & lessons learned. Environ Health 3(1):12.
Ron E. (1998). Ionizing radiation and cancer risk: evidence from epidemiology. Radiat Res 150:S30–S41.
Sali D, et al. (1996). Cancer consequences of the Chernobyl accident in Europe outside the former USSR: A review. Int J Cancer 67: 343–352.
United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. (1994). Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation. New York: United Nations.