Most people have no identifiable risk factors. It is possible for AML to run in families but is uncommon. However, in a small proportion of patients, risk factors can be identified. Currently known risk factors include:

• advanced age
• prior chemotherapy, radiation therapy or high-dose radiation exposure
• a known previous haematological disorder with a risk of leukaemic transformation, such as myelodysplastic syndromes, myeloproliferative diseases or congenital neutropenic syndrome
• known predisposing genetic disorders such as Down syndrome, Trisomy 8, Bloom syndrome, Ataxia-telangiectasia, Diamond-Blackfan anaemia, Shwachman-Diamond syndromes, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1, severe congenital neutropenia or Fanconi anaemia
• obesity
• tobacco smoking
• having a first-degree relative with AML
• environmental exposure of industrial chemicals such as benzene (ACS 2018).