A cursory read of some alternative medicine publications might leave the false impression that low cholesterol causes leukemia. These publications all point to the same source, but a close reading of the original research study reveals that the authors made no such claims. While this is an interesting exercise in how research can be misread, the bottom line is that while we know of several possible causes of leukemia, causation is poorly understood.
Rumor
This rumor got started by the 1996 publication of a paper in "Haematologica" by Scribano et al. in which the authors show that low levels of cholesterol observed in leukemia patients tend to return to normal after treatment. Writing with Dr. Baroni -- who is often mentioned by alternative medicine publications -- Dr. Scribani did not speculate that low cholesterol levels caused the leukemia. There are no studies in the medical literature that show low cholesterol is a leukemogenic, or cancer-causing, factor. This conclusion is a misreading of the original work.
Radiation
Radiation is one of the better-recognized causes of some cases of leukemia. In the first volume of his 2003 textbook "Blood: principles and practice of hematology," Robert Handin, MD, writes, "ionizing radiation is the most conclusively identified leukemogenic factor in humans." Handin points to the 20-fold increase in leukemia that was observed after the atom bomb was dropped in Nagasaki and Hiroshima that peaked five to nine years after the explosion. Medical doctors and scientists exposed to high levels of radiation also had higher levels of leukemia. In addition to the drugs used to treat cancer, other chemicals are implicated in the causation of leukemia.
Chemical Agents
Exposure to certain chemical agents, including some chemotherapeutic drugs, raises the risk of leukemia. For example, regular exposures to the chemical solvent benzene can cause leukemia and other cancers. Nitrogen mustard, chlorambucil and other alkylating agents used to treat cancer also are associated with a high risk of leukemia because they produce mutations. In such instances, the benefits of treating the existing cancer are greater than the risk of causing secondary problems.
Viruses
The human T-cell leukemia virus, better known as HTLV I, was discovered in the early 1980s. Although this virus is associated with only a small number of leukemia cases, it was the first virus shown to cause human cancers. Robert Gallo won the prestigious Lasker Prize for his work with this virus.
Warning
Avoiding false conclusions such as the assumption that low cholesterol causes leukemia involves carefully reading the scientific literature. This is not always easy because unscrupulous quacks offer glowing testimonials and scientific-sounding explanations. Regardless of how plausible something might sound, run it by your physician.
References
- National Cancer Institute: NCI Scientists Discover How T-Cell Leukemia Viruses Evade Body's Defense Mechanisms
- MayoClinic.com: Risk Factors
- "Oncogene"; Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) and Leukemic Transformation: Viral Infectivity, Tax, HBZ and Therapy; M. Matsuoka, et al.; March 2011
- American Cancer Society: Benzene
- "Blood: Principles and Practice of Hematology, Volume 1"; Robert I. Handin, et al.; 2003
- "Haematologica;" Return to Normal Values of Lipid Pattern after Effective Chemotherapy in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; D. Scribano; July-August, 1996
