Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). A person with CML may have few or no symptoms for months or years before entering a phase in which the leukemia cells grow more quickly.
Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all. Signs and symptoms usually develop gradually. People with a chronic leukemia often complain that they just do not feel well. The disease is often found during a routine blood test.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can rarely be cured. Still, most people live with the disease for many years. Some people with CLL can live for years without treatment, but over time, most will need to be treated.
CLL doesn't usually cause any symptoms early on and may only be picked up during a blood test carried out for another reason. When symptoms develop, they may include: getting infections often. anaemia – persistent tiredness, shortness of breath and pale skin.
Leukemia can produce a variety of symptoms, although most are not often apparent in the earliest stages of the malignancy. The most common symptoms of leukemia—fatigue, pale skin, weight loss and night sweats—are often attributed to other less serious conditions, such as the flu.
Unlike symptoms of the flu, which generally subside as patients get better, leukemia symptoms generally last longer than two weeks, and may include sudden weight loss, bone and joint pain and easy bleeding or bruising. Other early warning signs of leukemia include: Fever, chills. Fatigue, weakness.
Blood tests.
By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.
Chronic Leukemia May Go Undetected
It may take months or even several years before the disease begins to cause symptoms that alert the patient that something is wrong.
Leukemia Misdiagnosis
Physicians often fail to diagnose chronic leukemia, as it often shows no symptoms until the disease has begun to progress. Many of the symptoms of leukemia may also be symptoms of other illnesses, which results in a high number of misdiagnoses.
Human monocytic ehrlichiosis is a tickborne disease with a spectrum of presentations ranging from asymptomatic, mild to fatal. Ehrlichiosis can transiently cause white blood cells abnormalities that mimic leukemia/lymphoma and cases have been, on rare occasions, initially mistaken for hematological malignancies.
People in stages 0 to II may live for 5 to 20 years without treatment. CLL has a very high incidence rate in people older than 60 years. CLL affects men more than women. If the disease has affected the B cells, the person's life expectancy can range from 10 to 20 years.
Generally for all people with ALL:
more than 65 out of 100 people (more than 65%) will survive their leukaemia for 5 years or more after being diagnosed.
Life expectancy will depend on a person's age, the type of leukemia, and other factors. For children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), the 5-year survival rate is now around 90%, according to the American Cancer Society. For other types, however, the chance of living 5 years or more with leukemia may be lower .
Often referred to as a “silent disease,” CLL can be difficult to diagnose, because people often don't have any symptoms until later in the disease, and others have symptoms that resemble signs of other conditions, such as a cold.
If caught early, leukemia can be cured by undergoing several cancer treatments.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survival rates vary on many factors, including age. The overall 5-year survival rate for AML is 29.5% but may be as low as 15% in people over 60. AML is an aggressive form of cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called myeloid cells.
Almost 65 out of 100 (almost 65 percent) will survive their leukemia for five years or more after diagnosis. For those who are 40 or older: Around 20 out of 100 (around 20 percent) will survive their leukemia for five years or more after diagnosis. Your age affects how well leukemia responds to treatment.
Infections and Fevers
Your blood cells help your immune system function. When these cells are unhealthy, your body's immune system can't function normally causing you to get sick more often. One of the most common first symptoms of leukemia is frequent fevers and infection.
Decreased appetite. Weight loss. Enlarged spleen and/or lymph nodes. Recurring or chronic infections in areas such as the skin, lungs, or kidneys.
Adults between the age of 65 and 74 have the highest risk of developing leukemia. Chronic leukemia, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is the most common type of leukemia seen in people over the age of 50, with the median age of diagnosis being around 71.
Whether you're living with or after leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma or any other blood cancer: Being active is safe – Just let your doctor or nurse know about your plans. It's good for you – Being active improves your fitness and strength.
Stage 1 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and enlarged lymph nodes. Stage 2 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic. He or she may also have enlarged lymph nodes. Stage 3 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic.
This is for all ages. Younger people tend to do better than older people. For those younger than 40: more than 50 out of 100 (more than 50%) will survive their leukaemia for 5 years or more after diagnosis.