The cause of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is not known, but research is going on all the time to find out. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, like other cancers, is not infectious and cannot be passed on to other people.

Research has shown that a person’s risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is not increased by:

• exposure to electromagnetic fields
• living near high-voltage electricity cables
• household radon.

There are a number of risk factors that might increase a person’s risk of developing ALL. These are:

Exposure to very high radiation levels (such as during a nuclear accident or an atom bomb) is known to increase the risk of developing ALL. However, very few people in the UK will be exposed to radiation levels high enough to increase their risk.

In recent years there has been publicity about the increase in leukaemia in people living close to nuclear power plants. Research is still under way to see if there is any definite link, but currently there is no evidence of this.

Most ALL is not caused by an inherited faulty gene, so members of your family are not likely to have an increased risk of developing it just because you have it. People with certain genetic disorders, including Down’s syndrome and Fanconi’s anaemia, are known to have a higher risk of developing leukaemia.

In very rare cases, leukaemia may occur in people who have been exposed to chemicals; such as benzene and other solvents used in industry.

It is thought that ALL is due to a series of genetic changes in a particular group of immature blood cells. It is not fully understood what causes the genetic changes, but infection may be involved in the process. However, no specific infections that cause leukaemia have been found.