You can't self-diagnose leukemia, but you can monitor for common symptoms like persistent fatigue, frequent infections, easy bruising/bleeding (nosebleeds, heavy periods, tiny red spots (petechiae) on skin or unusual sweatiness), weight loss, fever, night sweats, bone pain, or swollen lymph nodes, and see a doctor for a professional diagnosis through blood tests (like a CBC) and potentially a bone marrow biopsy if symptoms suggest it.
Early signs of leukemia often mimic the flu or other common illnesses, including persistent fatigue, unexplained fever, frequent infections, easy bruising/bleeding, and night sweats, along with potential weight loss, bone pain, swollen lymph nodes, or pale skin, though some people have no symptoms initially. These vague symptoms occur due to the body's inability to produce healthy blood cells.
Complete blood count. A complete blood count (CBC) is the first test for diagnosing and monitoring leukemia. You will likely get multiple CBC tests throughout your treatment if you have leukemia. Your results help your doctors understand if your disease is advancing or how your body is responding to treatments.
Bone marrow test.
Your doctor may recommend a procedure to remove a sample of bone marrow from your hipbone. The bone marrow is removed using a long, thin needle. The sample is sent to a laboratory to look for leukemia cells.
Leukemia in children is most often diagnosed based on blood or bone marrow results. In rare cases, a large lymph node may be the main symptom of a new leukemia. In these cases, a lymph node biopsy may be done to make a diagnosis.
Though it's most commonly found on the arms and legs, a petechiae leukemia rash may also appear on the buttocks, the inside of the mouth or the eyelids. Though it looks like a rash of pinhead-sized spots, petechiae is actually a cluster of tiny bruises.
Acute myeloid leukemia
AML affects about 22,000 adults each year. People are usually diagnosed after age 45. AML is most common in people after age 65. Children rarely get this type of leukemia.
Age – Generally speaking, individuals over the age of 65 are more at risk for leukemia. Demographics – While anyone can conceivably develop leukemia, white males are statistically most susceptible. Radiation exposure – Exposure to radiation from an atomic bomb increases the likelihood that leukemia cells will form.
Leukemia starts in the soft, inner part of the bones (bone marrow), but often moves quickly into the blood. It can then spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system, and other organs.
The early history of leukemia reaches back 200 years. In 1811, Peter Cullen defined a case of splenitis acutus with unexplainable milky blood. Alfred Velpeau defined the leukemia associated symptoms, and observed pus in the blood vessels (1825).
Leukemia symptoms include: Weakness, tiredness and fatigue. This can be caused by the leukemia itself or by the low levels of hemoglobin seen in many leukemia patients. Fever and frequent infections due to low counts of healthy white blood cells.
In the initial stages of diagnosing acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), your GP will check for physical signs of the condition and arrange for you to have blood tests. A high number of abnormal white blood cells, or a very low blood count in the test sample, could indicate leukaemia.
Corticosteroids, powerful anti-inflammatory medications, are usually part of the chemotherapy regimen. Doctors also use medications that reach the spinal canal and the brain, such as methotrexate or cytarabine, to treat any cancer in these parts of the body or to prevent it from spreading there.
Some people with leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes have bone or joint pain. This bone pain is most often felt in the long bones of the arms and legs, in the ribs, and in the breastbone.
Acute leukemia may cause signs and symptoms that are similar to the flu. They come on suddenly within days or weeks. Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all. Signs and symptoms usually develop gradually.
Leukemia is commonly misdiagnosed as the following conditions:
Common leukemia signs and symptoms include:
Leukemia is most commonly diagnosed with a complete blood count (CBC) test, and the specific type of leukemia is confirmed with a bone marrow biopsy. A lymphoma diagnosis usually requires a lymph node or bone marrow biopsy, and additional imaging and tests to determine the stage.
How is leukemia diagnosed? Results from routine blood work can alert your healthcare provider that you may have an acute or chronic form of leukemia that requires further testing. Or they may recommend a workup if you have leukemia symptoms.
Leukemia is caused by DNA mutations in blood cells, leading to uncontrolled growth, but the exact trigger for these mutations is often unknown, likely a mix of genetic and environmental factors like radiation, benzene exposure, certain viruses, and inherited conditions (e.g., Down Syndrome). These genetic changes tell cells to keep multiplying instead of dying, crowding out healthy cells in the bone marrow.
Lung and bronchus, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers are responsible for nearly 50% of all deaths.
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of disorders where the bone marrow doesn't make enough healthy blood cells. Over time, these disorders can develop into leukemia, particularly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Dotson and Lebowicz 2022).
Who is most at risk?
Clinical studies suggest that stress-related biobehavioral factors can accelerate progression of hematopoietic cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but it is unclear whether such effects are causal or what biological pathways mediate such effects.
Diagnosing leukemia usually begins with a visit to your family doctor or when a routine test suggests a problem with the blood. Your doctor will ask you about any symptoms you have and may do a physical exam.