Before leukemia is diagnosed, a person may experience a range of non-specific symptoms caused by the bone marrow being crowded by abnormal cells, resulting in a shortage of healthy blood cells. In some cases, people with chronic leukemia may be asymptomatic and the condition is detected during a routine blood test.
Early signs of leukemia often mimic the flu and include persistent fatigue, fever, night sweats, frequent infections, and unexplained weight loss, due to the body's inability to produce healthy blood cells. Other key indicators are easy bruising or bleeding (like nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or tiny red spots on skin), bone/joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and sometimes pale skin or shortness of breath, all stemming from low red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.
Stage I: Involves swollen lymph nodes but no signs of low red blood cell count (anemia) or low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Stage II: This stage is characterized by an enlarged spleen or liver in addition to swollen lymph nodes. Stage III: Indicates anemia due to leukemia cells crowding the bone marrow.
In the past, MDS was sometimes referred to as pre-leukemia or smoldering leukemia. Now MDS is considered a form of cancer. MDS can also develop into a more serious cancer. In about 1 in 3 people with MDS, the disease can progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-growing cancer of bone marrow cells.
Leukemia starts when the DNA of a single cell in your bone marrow changes (mutates). DNA is the “instruction code” that tells a cell when to grow, how to develop and when to die. Because of the mutation, or coding error, leukemia cells keep multiplying.
Common leukemia signs and symptoms include:
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.
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.
Myelodysplastic syndrome refers to a group of related disorders in which abnormal blood-forming cells develop in the bone marrow. At first, these cells interfere with the production of normal blood cells. Later, these cells may become cancerous, turning into a form 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.
In people with AML, symptoms usually develop and progress rapidly over the course of a few weeks. Because it is an aggressive cancer, treatment should start as soon as it is diagnosed.
Possible symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia are enlarged lymph nodes, bruising easily, fever, bone pain, bleeding gums, and recurrent infections.
Most people with leukemia are over 60. Although you can develop it at any time of life, most types are rarely diagnosed in people under 40.
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.
Your doctor orders blood tests to look for the presence of abnormalities. They also evaluate your white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet counts. These tests give your doctor information about leukemia type. They also help with monitoring leukemia and planning your treatment.
Leukemia and lymphoma are easily confused because they're both types of blood cancer. Leukemia usually occurs in bone marrow, while lymphoma originates in the lymphatic system and mainly targets lymph nodes and lymph tissue.
It is more severe and is often described as an overwhelming exhaustion that cannot be overcome with a good night's rest. Some people may also describe it as constantly feeling physically weak, drained or have difficulty concentrating (“brain fog”).
EBV is also the most common infectious trigger of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis [2, 3]. The presentation of both diseases mimics lymphoreticular malignancies and frequently it can be mistaken for leukemia and lymphomas.
Types of diagnostic tests for leukemia
Peripheral blood smear: A sample of blood is examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: A small sample of fluid (aspiration) and tissue (biopsy) is taken—usually from the hip bone—under local anesthesia.
When it comes to cancer, genetics and chance often steal the spotlight. Yet lifestyle factors—including smoking, exposure to certain chemicals, dietary habits, and more—can also sway the odds of developing leukemia.
Leukemia symptoms commonly include:
Weight loss
CLL itself uses up energy that your body would otherwise use or store. So you may lose weight, even if you eat normally.
Leukemia is the term for cancer that starts in white blood cells. Coughing is a symptom of some types of leukemias, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). CLL can lead to a dry cough if the condition grows and enters the lungs. However, this rarely happens.
1 The long bones of the legs and arms are the most common location to experience this pain. Bone pain is commonly one of the presenting features of acute leukemia in childhood. Bone and joint pain have been reported to occur in 21–59% of children with acute leukemia.