Childhood Leukemia and Environmental Risk Factors

Abstract

Leukemia is a cancer that starts in blood forming cells which occurs in several forms of chronic or acute diseases. It is the most common cause of pediatric malignancy, accounting for approximately 25% of all cancers occurring before age 20. It represents 32% of all cancer cases occurring among children younger than 15 years of age, with an annual incidence rate of 43 cases per million. In the last decade of the 20th century, the occurrence of childhood leukemia has shown a rise. This disease, like most cancers, has a multifactorial etiological causal mechanism and a heterogeneous biological composition involving the interaction between different aspects originating from the environment as well as human genetics. This chapter discusses, through the current published literature, the relationship between cancer, particularly childhood leukemia, and environmental exposures to heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins.