Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer that effects the blood and bone marrow and is known to be caused by exposure to benzene. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This cancer progresses quickly and affects immature blood cells. Specifically, it’s a form of cancer in which the bone marrow produces too many lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Too many of these lymphocytes become leukemia cells that are not able to fight infection very well. As the number of leukemia cells increase, it creates less room for healthy cells.
Risk Factors for ALL
Acute lymphocytic leukemia occurs when a bone marrow cell develops errors in its DNA. Risk factors to getting acute lymphocytic leukemia include exposure to chemicals such as benzene. Other known risk factors include cancer therapies using chemotherapy or radiation.