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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffCertain factors may increase your risk of developing hairy cell leukemia. Not all research studies agree on what factors increase your risk of the disease. Some research indicates that your risk of hairy cell leukemia increases based on your:
- Exposure to radiation. People exposed to radiation, such as those who work around X-ray machines or those who received radiation treatment for cancer, may have a higher risk of developing hairy cell leukemia.
- Exposure to chemicals. Industrial and agricultural chemicals could play a role in hairy cell leukemia development. However, some studies have found this not to be the case.
- Exposure to sawdust. Some studies have found a link between working with wood and sawdust and an increased risk of hairy cell leukemia. But this connection hasn't been proved conclusively.
References
- Abeloff MD. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:2309.
- Hoffman R, et al. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06715-0..X5001-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-06715-0&uniqId=230100505-56. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
- Lichtman MA, et al. Williams Hematology. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=69. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
- Hairy cell leukemia treatment (PDQ): Patient version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/hairy-cell-leukemia/patient. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
- Grever MR, et al. Modern strategies for hairy cell leukemia. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2011;29:583.
- Rituxan (prescribing information). South San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech Inc.; 2009. http://www.rituxan.com/index.html. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
- Integrative medicine & complementary and alternative therapies as part of blood cancer care. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. http://www.lls.org/#/resourcecenter/freeeducationmaterials/treatment/integrativemedandcam. Accessed Feb. 2, 2012.
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