Hairy cell leukemia

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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Cancers are caused by a defect in your DNA. In the case of hairy cell leukemia, mutations in the DNA cause your bone marrow stem cells to create too many white blood cells that don't work properly. It isn't clear what causes the DNA mutations that lead to hairy cell leukemia.

DS00673

Feb. 2, 2008

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