What are the symptoms of leukemia?

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells, which form in the bone marrow.

White blood cells play an important role in helping the body combat infection. When a person has leukemia, the bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells, which interfere with healthy blood cells and prevent the blood from functioning normally.

There are various types of leukemia. Some are more common in children, and others are more frequently diagnosed in adults.

There are many symptoms of leukemia, depending on the specific type. Signs of leukemia can be vague, and they may be easily confused with signs of other conditions.

Some of the most common symptoms of leukemia are:

ongoing fatigue or weakness;
fever or chills;
recurrent or severe infections;
unexplained or effortless weight loss;
swelling of the lymph nodes;
enlargement of the liver or spleen;
bleeding or bruising easily;
frequent nosebleeds;
small red spots on the skin (known as petechiae);
severe episodes of sweating, particularly at night;
bone pain, discomfort or tenderness;
a feeling of pain or fullness below the ribs;
lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach or groin that do not cause pain;
shortness of breath; and
bleeding under the skin.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call your physician. A physician may opt to do a physical examination, blood work or a bone marrow test.

Upon diagnosis of leukemia, treatment will vary based on subtype and staging of the disease. Treatments may include chemotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplant, biologic therapy and targeted therapy.

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/leukemia/basics/definition/con-20024914

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/leukemia.html