“How does blood cancer happen?”
My brother in law is 35 years old and has been detected with leukemia. We are consulting various doctors who are recommending different lines of treatment. I know almost nothing about leukemia and am researching bit by bit. How does this occur? Is it preventable at all?
2 Answers
Most leukemias are not hereditary. It is not preventable by, for instance, diet or exercise. Radiation exposure is one potential cause of leukemias but the exact cause is rarely found. Sorry.
Probably the best answer I can give about the origin of leukemia is that in most situations it is a genetic accident. It does occur after exposure to irradiation. Luckily, leukemia can be successfully treated, usually with chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant. It is best if the patient is treated in an organization, that is, expert in both modalities of treatment and the side effects that they cause.
