There are no specific ways to prevent acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Avoidance of controllable risk factors offers the only possibility of preventing the disease. Smoking is the biggest controllable risk factor for AML. Individuals who do not use tobacco have the best chance of preventing AML, as well as other smoking-related cancers.  

Avoiding the chemical benzene can also reduce a person’s risk of developing the disease.  However, many experts agree that occupational and environmental chemicals are responsible for only a small number of leukemia cases. 

Although chemotherapy and radiation therapy for other cancers can cause secondary AML, the lifesaving benefits of these treatments should be carefully weighed against the small risk of developing leukemia later in life.