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The signs and symptoms of leukemia are caused by the processes of the disease: namely, that too many abnormal, improperly functioning white blood cells are forming and "crowding out" the normal blood cells. The most common symptoms include:
- Frequent infections and flu-like symptoms, such as fever and chills: The abnormal white blood cells cannot help the body fight off infection.
- Pain and swelling in different parts of the body: As the abnormal cells keep multiplying and move out into the body, they tend to collect in the lymph nodes, organs such as the liver or spleen, or the joints.
- Headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of muscle control, seizures: These symptoms can result if the cells collect in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord).
- Anemia and thrombocytopenia: The increase of white blood cells in the bone marrow interferes with normal production of red blood cells and platelets, causing a condition called anemia (low hemoglobin) and thrombocytopenia, a disorder in which the number of platelets (a type of blood cell) is abnormally low, sometimes associated with abnormal bleeding. Symptoms of anemia include looking pale or feeling weak and tired. People with thrombocytopenia may bleed or bruise easily or find that their gums bleed or are swollen; they may also develop tiny red spots under the skin (petechiae).
- Other possible symptoms: Other symptoms include the loss of appetite or weight loss, and sweating, particularly at night.
In many cases, the chronic forms of leukemia -- chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) -- do not cause symptoms right away because the disease tends to develop slowly. These types of leukemia are often diagnosed through a blood test, done as part of a routine checkup, or for some unrelated reason, before the patient even develops any symptoms. In fact, about one-fifth of people with chronic leukemia have no symptoms before it is diagnosed.
The majority of the symptoms previously mentioned are most frequently caused by common and benign illnesses. However, the combination of prolonged fevers, easy bruising, unusual fatigue and weight loss should raise a suspicion of something other than a common illness. It is important to be evaluated by a physician when any of the symptoms listed are present.
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External Sources
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American Cancer Society, The Adult Chronic Leukemia Resource Center, The Adult Leukemia Resource Center, and the Child Leukemia Resource Center
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Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America
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Leukemia Research Foundation
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Dollinger M, Rosenbaum, EH, Tempero M., et al. Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy, Fourth Edition, Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2002
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National Cancer Institute
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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