Looking into what causes blood cancer and what puts people at risk for it Knowing what causes blood cancer is important so that it can be found early, treated better, and people can feel more at ease. We don’t know everything, but we do know that some things and situations make blood cancer more likely.
Knowing these risk factors can help you take action sooner if you’re wondering “why does blood cancer happen?” or “what causes blood cancer to develop?”
This guide will help you learn what we do know about the cause of blood cancer and the things that make a person more likely to get it, whether you are a patient, a carer, or just someone looking for reliable information.
What is Blood Cancer?
When DNA mutations change how blood cells work, they grow too quickly and push out healthy cells. This is what happens when someone has blood cancer, which is also called haematologic cancer.
Cleveland Clinic’s City of Hope Cancer Treatment Centres
There are three main kinds of blood cancer:
- Leukaemia: harms the blood and bone marrow
- Lymphoma: happens in the lymphatic system
- Multiple Myeloma: begins in the plasma cells of the bone marrow
All of them make it harder for the body to make red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. This can lead to tiredness, infections, bleeding, and other problems.
You should know that blood cancer happens when DNA changes in a way that isn’t normal. These changes can happen for no reason at all, or they can be caused by things that are passed down from parents or come from outside sources.
Read Also : How Blood Cancer Affects the Body: Symptoms, and Treatment
The Primary Causes of Blood Cancer: Genetic Factors
Some blood cancers happen when people get mutations or syndromes from their parents. Examples of these are Down syndrome, Fanconi anaemia, and Li-Fraumeni syndrome. In most cases, these conditions don’t run in families, but they do make the risk much higher.
In addition, conditions that aren’t cancerous yet, like MGUS (Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance), can get worse over time until they become full-blown cancer in people with multiple myeloma.
Environmental Exposures
- Radiation: High doses from nuclear accidents, past cancer treatments, or work exposure can badly affect leukaemia, especially AML.
- Chemicals: Long-term exposure to benzene (found in petrochemicals) and some herbicides, hair dyes, or Agent Orange has been linked to leukaemia and lymphoma.
The Wikipedia page for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre - Smoking: Raises the risk of AML and other blood cancers by a lot.
Things that Affect Your Lifestyle
Obesity has been linked to a higher risk of multiple myeloma and leukaemia, but lifestyle doesn’t directly cause blood cancer.
A poor diet, lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption may marginally increase risk, though not to the extent of solid cancers, yet remain a contributing factor.
These things help explain why blood cancer happens by combining inherited and acquired factors that throw off the normal processes that make blood.
Things That Raise Your Risk of Getting Blood Cancer
Family, Age, and Gender Background
- Age: As people get older, their risk goes up. People over 60 often get diagnosed with leukaemias and myelomas.
- Gender: Most blood cancers are more likely to happen in men than women.
Summa Health’s City of Hope Cancer Treatment Centres - Family History: Your chances go up if a close family member has had leukaemia or lymphoma.
Summa Health’s City of Hope Cancer Treatment Centres
Medical Conditions and a Weakened Immune System
People with autoimmune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis), HIV/AIDS, or who take immunosuppressant drugs are more likely to get lymphoma or leukaemia.
UK Blood Cancer Wikipedia page for Summa Health.
Over time, previous cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation therapy can also cause secondary blood cancers.
Infections with Viruses
Some viruses make you more likely to get blood cancer:
- Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV): associated with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and certain non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas
- Human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV-1): a recognised etiological agent of specific adult T-cell leukaemias
- HIV infection: does not directly induce blood cancer; however, it compromises the immune system and elevates the risk of lymphoma
These help explain why blood cancer happens in certain people, showing that risk factors are often cumulative rather than separate.
How Things Like Your Lifestyle and the Environment Can Affect Blood Cancer
Even if they aren’t direct causes, your daily habits and surroundings can change your risk profile.
- Smoking: Strongly linked to AML and leukaemia; the chemicals in tobacco harm DNA in bone marrow over time.
- Obesity: Increases the chances of getting myeloma and leukaemia; higher BMI is directly linked to higher disease rates.
- Chemical Exposure: Long-term exposure to benzene, formaldehyde, or pesticides in some workplaces makes people more likely to get sick.
- Radiation Exposure: Even medical imaging or previous treatment can increase risk, but modern safety standards limit exposure.
These environmental and lifestyle factors contribute incrementally to the overall aetiology of blood cancer. While not definitive, they may serve as catalysts in genetically predisposed individuals or those with compromised immunity, elucidating the aetiology of blood cancer.
Steps to Take to Avoid Problems and Find Them Early
Why Early Detection Is Important
There isn’t just one test for blood cancer, but seeing a doctor early for symptoms like unexplained weight loss, persistent fatigue, bruises, or infections that keep coming back can help doctors find the disease sooner and get better treatment results.
Ways to Lower Risk
- Healthy Habits: Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, keep a healthy weight, and avoid smoking or drinking too much alcohol.
- Manage Exposures: If you work with chemicals, wear protective gear, and limit your exposure to unnecessary radiation.
- Medical History: People with genetic disorders or who have had cancer treatment in the past should talk to their doctor about regular follow-up.
- Immune System: If you have autoimmune diseases, viral infections, or a weak immune system, let your doctor know.
Collectively, these measures help reduce the cause of blood cancer impact, and empower you with actionable prevention strategies.
Conclusion
In short, the main blood cancer reason is changes in genes, influenced by a mix of environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and personal risk factors. Not all blood cancers can be avoided, but knowing what causes them—like genetics and chemical exposure—can help you make better choices.
If you are worried about something, like a family history, unexplained symptoms, or known exposures, please talk to your doctor right away. Your first line of defence is to be aware of the disease and make smart choices about your lifestyle.
The first step towards preventing blood cancer, getting a diagnosis quickly, and having better outcomes is to stay up to date on blood cancer reason and what causes it.
