Scientist reveals likely cause of childhood leukemia/Story: Harriest Dancing

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180521131746.htm Scientist reveals likely cause of childhood leukemia: Landmark paper sets out 'unified theory' for cause of childhood leukemia -- and finds it is likely to be preventable Professor Mel Greaves from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, assessed the most comprehensive body of evidence ever collected on acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) -- the most common type of childhood cancer. His research concludes that the disease is caused through a two-step process of genetic mutation and exposure to infection that means it may be preventable with treatments to stimulate or 'prime' the immune system in infancy. The first step involves a genetic mutation that occurs before birth in the fetus and predisposes children to leukemia -- but only 1 per cent of children born with this genetic change go on to develop the disease. The second step is also crucial. The disease is triggered later, in childhood, by exposure to one or more common infections, but primarily in children who experienced 'clean' childhoods in the first year of life, without much interaction with other infants or older children. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is particularly prevalent in advanced, affluent societies and is increasing in incidence at around 1 per cent per year. Professor Greaves challenged previous reports of possible environmental causes, such as ionising radiation, electricity cables, electromagnetic waves or human-made chemicals -- arguing that none are supported by robust evidence as major causes. Instead, he presented strong evidence for a 'delayed infection' theory for the cause of ALL, in which early infection is beneficial to prime the immune system, but later infection in the absence of earlier priming can trigger leukemia. Professor Greaves suggests that childhood leukemia, in common with type I diabetes, other autoimmune diseases and allergies, might be preventable if a child's immune system is properly 'primed' in the first year of life -- potentially sparing children the trauma and life-long consequences of chemotherapy. From the Institute of Cancer Research Story: Harriest Dancing. By Ruth Symes