Leukaemia occurs, when the DNA of the earliest blood forming cells is damaged.

It is particularly dangerous if a damage occurs in a DNA gene controlling cell growth.

Damage can take several forms: -

1. Mutations (altered DNA)
2. Translocations (DNA movers from one region of the chromosome, to another)
3. Deletions (genes are lost)

All three of these are under investigation by Leukaemia research scientists. There are numerous chromosomal abnormalities. Some vary rare and a handful of common translocation pre-dominates.

Re-arrangements between chromosomes are far more complicated than was first suspected, as has been shown by using the FISH technique.

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