Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing cancer. Some risk factors can be controlled, such as smoking, and some cannot be controlled, such as age and family history. Although risk factors can influence the development of cancer, most do not directly cause cancer. Some people with several risk factors never develop cancer, while others with no known risk factors do. However, knowing your risk factors and communicating them to your doctor may help you make more informed lifestyle and health care choices.

The cause of ALL is not known. In general, ALL is most likely to affect children and older adults. The following factors may raise a person’s risk of developing ALL:

Age. The incidence of ALL is highest in children younger than 15 and adults older than 50.

Race. White people are somewhat more likely than black people to develop ALL for reasons that are not understood.

Genetic disorders. People with Down syndrome, ataxia telangiectasia, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Klinefelter’s syndrome, Fanconi’s anemia, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, and Bloom’s syndrome are at higher risk for ALL than the general population.

High doses of radiation. People who have been exposed to high levels of radiation, such as long-term survivors of atomic bombs, may be more susceptible to ALL.

Viruses. Occasionally, ALL or unique types of lymphoma can be associated with prior viral infections, such as human T-cell leukemia virus-1 or Epstein-Barr virus.

Exposure to electromagnetic fields or high voltage electric lines has not been proven to increase a person’s risk of ALL.

Lastly, recent sophisticated genetic studies have shown that in many young children with ALL, the ALL may have been present before birth, although it may take many years before the disease develops and causes symptoms. Further research is underway to try to understand this finding in more detail.