Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow. Bone marrow produces blood cells. Leukemia can develop due to a problem with blood cell production. It usually affects the leukocytes, or white blood cells.
Symptoms of leukemia include the following:
Poor blood clotting: This can cause a person to bruise or bleed easily and heal slowly. They may also develop petechiae, which are small red and purple spots on the body. These indicate that blood is not clotting properly.
Petechiae develop when immature white blood cells crowd out platelets, which are crucial for blood clotting.
Frequent infections: The white blood cells are crucial for countering infection. If white blood cells are not working correctly, a person may develop frequent infections. The immune system may attack the body's own cells.
Anemia: As fewer effective red blood cells become available, a person may become anemic. This means that they do not have enough hemoglobin in their blood. Hemoglobin transports iron around the body. A shortage of iron can lead to difficult or labored breathing and pale skin.
Other symptoms may include:
- nausea
- fever
- chills
- night sweats
- flu-like symptoms
- weight loss
- bone pain
- tiredness
If the liver or spleen becomes swollen, a person may feel full and eat less, resulting in weight loss.
Weight loss may also occur even without an enlarged liver or spleen. A
headache may indicate that cancerous cells have entered the
central nervous system (CNS).