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.

Doctors and researchers don’t know what causes most childhood cancers, including AML. Sometimes, AML may be caused by certain genetic or environmental factors. For example, children who have Down syndrome have an increased risk of AML during the first three years of life. However, the reasons for this increased risk are not well understood.

AML occurs most often in children younger than two. The number of people with AML increases again in late childhood (during the teenage years) and continues to increase throughout later adulthood.