aetiology

Last reviewed 01/2018

The cause of CLL is unknown. There is no evidence that exposure to ionizing radiation, drugs or chemicals are associated with an increased risk (1).

There may be a genetic predisposition to CLL.

  • an increase risk of CLL and other primary cancers have been observed in relatives of patients with CLL
  • currently no genes responsible for increased risk of CLL has been identified (1)

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