Read article Hairy cell leukaemia risks and causes
This page tells you about the possible causes and risk factors for hairy cell leukaemia. There is information about
Hairy cell leukaemia is rare. Around 8,300 cases of leukaemia are diagnosed each year in the UK. But around 190 cases of hairy cell are diagnosed in England, Scotland and Wales. So it is one of the rarest types of leukaemia.
Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is a risk factor. Different cancers have different risk factors. Having one or more risk factors for a disease does not mean that you will definitely get it. And, although a risk factor can increase your chances of getting a cancer, it does not cause cancer.
We don’t know what causes hairy cell leukaemia. The only risk factors we know of are
- Age – hairy cell leukaemia is rarely seen in adults under the age of 30 and hardly ever in children. The most common age for diagnosis is around 50
- Gender – hairy cell leukaemia is more common in men. About 4 times as many men are diagnosed with this type of leukaemia as women
- Share this: Tweet
-
-
- Print this page
-
Email this page
Increase text size
Decrease text size
Print page
Print basket
Save pages here and print in one go
Nurse helpline
Questions about cancer? Call freephone
0808 800 4040
or email us
