A risk factor can be anything that influences the development of any cancer. But having a risk factor, or many does not give certainty of having particular cancer. Some people with no risk factors can also develop cancer.
The cause of CML is unknown, though researchers now understand how the disease develops from genetic changes in the bone marrow cells. Environmental factors account only for a small number of CML diagnoses. Family history does not appear to play a role in the development of CML.
These factors may raise the risk of developing CML –
- Age – Older People are at more risk of contradicting CML with the average age of people diagnosed with CML being around 64. CML is uncommon in children and teens.
- Radiation exposure – Many people who were long-term survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings in Japan were diagnosed with CML. Additionally, radiation therapy for a condition as ankylosing spondylitis also said to be a contributing factor of CML. However, there is no proven link between CML and chemotherapy or radiation therapy for other types of cancer or other diseases.
- Gender – Men have more probability to develop CML than women.
