Leukemia is the most common cancer in children, accounting for 25-30% of all cancers in children and adolescents. It most commonly is diagnosed in children when they are 1–4 years old. The median age of diagnosis is 6 years old.<unk>  is more common in boys than girls. It is also more frequently diagnosed in white and Hispanic children. The incidence of<unk>  has been increasing over time. However, this may be because of increased ability to detect, diagnose, and report the disease, rather than an actual increase in children who are affected. ALL is the most common type of<unk> , accounting for 75-80% of diagnoses. ALL is most commonly is diagnosed in 3-5-year-old children. As with<unk>  in general, it is more common in boys than girls and more common in white and Hispanic children. AML is the second most common type of<unk> , making up most of the remaining diagnoses. It is most commonly diagnosed in children less than 1 year old. Unlike ALL, it occurs equally in boys and girls and occurs equally across racial/ethnic groups. There are a number of risk factors that have been studied for<unk> . Genetic risk factors include: Down syndrome, Fanconi anemia, familial monosomy 7, Shwachman–Diamond syndrome, Bloom Syndrome, as well as mutations in specific gene mutations. Besides genetic risk factors, exposure to ionizing radiation is a known risk factor for<unk> . Other factors that may be linked to development of<unk>  include: family history of blood cancers, maternal alcohol use, parental cigarette use, prior loss of pregnancy in the mother, older age of the mother, high birth weight, low birth weight, exposure to benzene, exposure to pesticides, and infections. However, whether or how much these factors actually contribute to the development of leukemia has yet to be determined and is unclear.
Childhood leukemia
Myeloid leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Lymphoid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia
Acute leukemia
B-cell leukemia
Chronic leukemia