Childhood leukaemia Genetics and Ionising Radiation

The list of chromosome changes and gene mutations in leukaemia is now very extensive, involving more than 100 identified genes and including changes that are leukaemia subtype specific (Mullighan 2007, Han 2010, Oh 2010, de Jesus Marques-Salles 2010), or country -specific. Siddiqui found (2010) that a particular fusion gene was found in Pakistan, Myanmar and Sudan, at a much lower rate than reported from Western populations.