[Genetic epidemiology of the familial aggregation of human leukemia]

During the past decade enormous progress has been achieved in the investigation of cytogenetics and moleculargenetics of leukemia and lymphoma, although there have been few systemic studies which clarify genetic etiology leukemia. At this standpoint it is important to review the recent literature which concerns etiology of leukemia. Recently it has been proved that of the incidence of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia is same in all over the world by Greaves and his collegue. So the major cause of childhood leukemia can be explained to be spontaneous mutation. Nevertheless genetic factors are thought to be a part of another cause of leukemia as well as certain environmental factors. Heterogeneity of genetic mechanism in familial aggregation in each case probably makes difficult to analyse the cause of hereditary mechanism in leukemia.