What are the causes of acute myeloblastic leukaemia?

The exact causes of acute myeloid leukaemia are unknown. Research into possible causes is going on all the time.

In very rare cases, leukaemia may occur after exposure to chemicals such as benzene and other solvents used in industry.

Large doses of radiation and some drugs used to treat other cancers may also rarely cause leukaemia, many years after people have received them. People exposed to high levels of radiation due to atomic bomb explosions or nuclear industry accidents are more likely to develop leukaemia than people who have not been exposed to radiation.

People with certain blood disorders (such as myelodysplastic syndrome) or some genetic disorders, including Down’s syndrome, are known to have a higher risk of developing leukaemia.

Acute myeloid leukaemia, like other cancers, is not infectious and cannot be passed on to other people. It is not caused by an inherited faulty gene that can be passed on from one generation to the next.