Latino children are more at risk to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia compared to other racial or ethnic groups in the United States. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occurs when the body reproduces immature white blood cells that replace regular cells in the bone marrow, leaving the body vulnerable. It’s the most common form of leukemia in children.
Risk factors of acute lymphocytic leukemia include having a blood relative with leukemia, being Latino or non-Hispanic white, and having Down Syndrome, according to a recent article on the Huffington Post.
Hispanic children are more likely to be diagnosed with ALL and are more likely to die from the disease, according to researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Even adult Hispanics are not immune to the disparity concerning acute leukemia, and overall, Hispanics have a 46 percent increased risk of dying from ALL when compared to non-Hispanic whites.
Researchers also say Latino children are more likely to inherit genes associated with acute leukemia. and an increased risk for cancer recurrence. About 4,000 people in the U.S. are affected by acute leukemia a year, most commonly in children younger than 10.
