A risk factor is something that affects a person’s chance of getting a disease such as cancer. The risk factors for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are: Radiation exposure: Being exposed to high-dose radiation (such as being a survivor of an atomic bomb blast or nuclear reactor accident) increases the risk of getting CML
Age: The risk of getting CML goes up with age
Gender: This disease is slightly more common in males than females. There are no other proven risk factors for CML. The risk of getting CML does not seem to be affected by smoking, diet, exposure to chemicals, or infections. And CML does not run in families.
