Is Leukemia hereditary?

Is Leukemia hereditary? If yes, how many generations does it reach? I mean, if for example, you have 5 children, until which child will have it? Is it also possible that for example, there are three children. The 1st child got it, the 3rd too but the second did not? Is that possible? My mom, who is a nurse, told me that it is hereditary. And then, I have this special friend. He is taking medications because he is sick. Yet he did not tell me what his sickness is. He told me that his mother has Leukemia. So now, I am thinking that he has it too 'cause my mother said that it is hereditary. Then, his older sister is also being brought to the hospital. Yet his younger brother not. So I think, his younger brother doesn't have it. They are only three children. Hope my questions will get answered. Thank You.

Hello,

No in 95% plus of cases there is no hereditary predisposition to leukemia. The one exception is with identical twins, if one twin gets leukemia, the other twin has a higher 'risk' of getting the same leukemia, but it's not a certainty that they will.

There are hereditary cancer syndromes,(one in particular is called Li-Fraumeni syndrome) where a particular genetic defect is passed from parent to child, and then that child when they grow up, on to their children; that are associated with a high incidence of all types of different cancers, leukemia included. These fortunately are not very common. There also other 'genetic/hereditary' conditions that are associated with a higher risk of getting cancer such as Down's, Wiskott Aldrich, Neurofibromatosis syndromes.

You may be confusing 'hereditary' with 'genetic'. Cancer is a genetic disease, meaning that there are genetic changes that occur within some cell that then transform it into a cancer cell. However, these transformations occur after the individual is born, and are usually just plain bad luck; meaning they didn't get it from their parents.

Hope this helps.

John

No, it isn't hereditary.

Unfortunately my nephew aged 33 died two years ago from leukaemia. We asked the same question but everyone reassured us it wasn't.

Leukemia Research Foundation >> Patients, Families, and Friends >> Frequently Asked Questions Found under (Leukemia Hereditary)on Yahoo Search, think #5, claims it is. Sorry the hyperlink did'nt work, worth a look

Yes you will be infected. Live your life to the fullest. I suggest maxing out a few credit cards because hey, you won't have to pay them.

no. absolutely it is not hereditary.

Who is at risk for Leukemia?

No one knows the exact causes of leukemia. Doctors can seldom explain why one person gets this disease and another does not. However, research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop leukemia. A risk factor is anything that increases a person鈥檚 chance of developing a disease.


Most people who have known risk factors do not get leukemia. On the other hand, many who do get the disease have none of these risk factors. People who think they may be at risk of leukemia should discuss this concern with their doctor. The doctor may suggest ways to reduce the risk and can plan an appropriate schedule for checkups

To read the rest of the article click on the link.

No Leukemia is not a hereditary disease !

It is not hereditary. Our eating habits are. It is an auto-
immune system dysfunction and can be reversed and prevented
with a change of diet and getting the proper nutrition which aids in cell to cell communication. What MIT calls
glycosylation. 54 forms of cancer have been reversed using
the proper nutrition.

It can have a genetic component (like Philadelphia chromosome wherein portions from 2 particular chromosomes r swapped), but this is because, generally, of a mutation which occurs in the bone marrow and not during the produation of sperms or ova, so can't be inherited.