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Leukemia Symptoms
The first indications of leukemia often are nonspecific or
vague. They may occur with other cancerous as well as noncancerous
disorders. Although signs and symptoms vary for each type
of leukemia, there are some general features. Broad symptoms
of leukemia may include:
- Fatigue
- Malaise (vague feeling of bodily discomfort)
- Abnormal bleeding
- Excessive bruising
- Weakness
- Reduced exercise tolerance
- Weight loss
- Bone or joint pain
- Infection and fever
- Abdominal pain or "fullness"
- Enlarged spleen, lymph nodes, and liver
Chronic leukemia often goes undetected for many years until it is identified
in a routine blood test. In fact, nearly one in five chronic
leukemia patients have no symptoms at the time of their
diagnosis. Most symptoms of acute leukemia are caused by
a lack of normal blood cells. This is due to overcrowding
of the blood-forming bone marrow by leukemia cells.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Symptoms
Certain forms of leukemia produce more distinct symptoms.
For example, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), particularly
the M5 monocytic form, may generate tell-tale symptoms such
as:
- swollen, painful, and bleeding gums - if AML has spread
to the oral tissue;
- pigmented (colored) rash-like spots - if AML has spread
to the skin; or
- chloromas (granulocytic sarcomas; collections of tumorous
cells within the skin or other body parts) - if AML has spread
to the skin or other organs.
The T-cell variety of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
may cause the thymus to enlarge and press on the trachea
(windpipe). Such pressure may lead to:
- shortness of breath,
- coughing, or
- suffocation.
* Information from Oncologychannel.com
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Symptoms of Leukemia
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