WHAT CAUSES CML?
When a person is healthy, signals in the body tell it to grow new blood cells. These signals reach the source of blood cells, which are called stem cells. The signals turn stem cells on and off as necessary to produce the number of blood cells the body needs. When a person has CML, a change takes place place in their DNA and makes this signal stay on constantly. Because this signal stays on, the body produces more and more leukaemia cells.
Leukemia strikes both sexes and all ages. Causes of most cases are unknown. Persons with Down syndrome and certain other genetic abnormalities have higher than normal incidence of leukemia. It has also been linked to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation and to certain chemicals such as benzene, a commercially used toxic liquid that is also present in lead-free gasoline. Certain forms of leukemia and Lymphoma are caused by a retrovirus, HTLV-I (human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus-I).
