Role of various risk factors in occurrence of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background: Environmental risk factors play important role in inducing the leukemia either directly or indirectly. Some risk factors are very casual and we usually ignore them but risk factors sometimes plays very crucial role in triggering the leukemia. Objective: To find out the role of various risk factors in occurrence of AML. Patients & Methods: Two hundred twenty patients of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from Deptt. of Pathlogy, Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak were carefully studied to know the role of various risk factors in occurrence of AML during 2008-12. The main risk factors considered in present study were prenatal and postnatal risk factors along with occupation of patients and their parents. The various risk factors were analyzed in both group i.e., children (<15 years) and adults (>15 years). Results: There were 70% cases with prenatal complications having drug intake, exposure to pesticides, exposure to ionizing radiation (IR), electric and magnetic fields (EMF), extremely low-frequency (ELF), and radio frequency (RF), diagnostic X-rays and fetal loss. While 75% patients with postnatal risk factors having smoking, alcohol consumption, pesticides exposure, ionizing radiation, electromagnetic field and infection. Industry (46%) in both groups was the major occupation followed by agriculture (23%) worker in unorganized sector (19%) and self business (12%). Conclusion: Further study of AML, including occurrence of the leukemia and associated risk factors, is needed in order to confirm these findings and to increase our understanding of this disease.