Risk factors and primary prevention of acute leukemia.

Although risk factors for leukemia have been invastigated in numerous studies, only a few of them explain the disease etiology. Established and suspected risk factors for leukemia can be classified as familial, genetic , environmental (benzene, high dose ionizing radiation, chemotherapeutics, electromagnetic fields) and lifestyle (smoking, obesity, dietary intake). Prevention of leukemia may be possible by avoiding exposure to risk factors associated with leukemia such as smoking, benzene exposure and high dose ionizing radiation. To explain the etiology of all leukemias and develop preventive methods for the disease, future studies are needed.