TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Previous chemotherapy and exposure to radiation may increase the risk of developing ALL.
Source: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: May 12, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
ALL is caused by certain changes to the way blood stem cells function, especially how they grow and divide into new cells. A risk factor is anything that increases the chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors for cancer, like smoking, can be changed. However, risk factors also include things people cannot change, like their genetics, getting older, and their health history.
There are many risk factors for ALL, but many do not directly cause cancer. Instead, they increase the chance of DNA damage in cells that may lead to ALL. Learn more about how cancer develops at What Is Cancer?
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Having one or more of these risk factors does not mean that you will get ALL. Many people with risk factors never develop ALL, while others with no known risk factors do.
Possible risk factors for ALL include:
being male
being White
being older than 70
past treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy
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being exposed to high levels of radiation in the environment (such as nuclear radiation)
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having certain genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome
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Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk.
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice