What Causes Aplastic Anemia
We know that certain chemicals such as benzene can cause aplastic anemia. Many chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatment can damage the bone marrow but usually don’t cause aplastic anemia. The most common causes are drugs and virus infections, particularly viral hepatitis. Environmental pollutants are another cause.
Doctors have tried to tie together how medicines, chemicals, and viruses can cause this disease. The most commonly accepted explanation is that these agents cause an abnormal immune reaction in the body. This immune reaction then somehow attacks and damages the bone marrow stem cells. This theory has led to the modern treatment of this disease, which has been very successful (see the section “How Is Aplastic Anemia Treated?”).