The etiology of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains largely unknown. Present evidence points to an interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Based on epidemiological studies including population mixing, several environmental causes have been proposed as contributing to the etiology of ALL. The possible contribution of a common infection has been discussed in some reports.Higgins et al. and others [1] found no evidence of seasonality in month of birth (MOB) for any subgroup of childhood leukemia, while others reported seasonal variations in the onset of ALL in children [2]. Only a few studies have focused on rhythmicity of MOB and the findings were mixed, possibly due to small cohorts [3,4].
展开▼
