This article provides information on common signs and symptoms that might suggest leukemia, along with an overview of its diagnosis. This information aims to increase awareness, not to replace the guidance of a medical professional, who can accurately assess individual health situations and provide appropriate care.
Recognizing Early Signs
Leukemia, a cancer affecting the body’s blood-forming tissues, often presents with subtle symptoms easily mistaken for less serious conditions. A common early indicator is persistent fatigue and weakness. This arises because abnormal leukemia cells crowd out healthy red blood cells, leading to anemia, a shortage of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin. This results in extreme tiredness that does not improve with rest.
Changes in bruising and bleeding patterns are also common. Individuals might notice easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums. This occurs because leukemia can reduce platelets, small cell fragments essential for blood clotting. Low platelet counts prevent proper sealing of blood vessels, leading to visible bruises or small, pinpoint-sized red, purple, or brown spots on the skin known as petechiae. Petechiae often appear in clusters and do not change color when pressed.
Recurrent infections are a frequent symptom. Leukemia involves the production of abnormal white blood cells that do not effectively fight off pathogens. This impaired immune response can lead to more frequent, severe, or prolonged infections, such as persistent fevers, coughs, or difficulty shaking off illnesses.
Unexplained weight loss can occur because rapidly dividing cancer cells consume significant energy. It can also result from an enlarged spleen pressing on the stomach, causing a sensation of fullness that reduces appetite. Swollen lymph nodes, often painless and found in areas like the neck, armpits, or groin, can also be present as abnormal cells accumulate in these immune system glands.
When to Seek Medical Attention
Many early leukemia symptoms can mimic common, less serious illnesses like the flu. However, it is important to observe their persistence and nature. If symptoms such as fatigue, easy bruising, recurrent infections, unexplained weight loss, or swollen lymph nodes are ongoing, worsening, or unusual, medical consultation is advisable. Early detection can lead to more timely medical intervention.
A healthcare professional can evaluate the combination and severity of symptoms to determine if further investigation is needed. During an initial consultation, the doctor will take a detailed medical history, asking about symptom onset and progression, and conduct a physical examination. This initial assessment helps differentiate leukemia symptoms from other conditions and guides diagnostic testing decisions.
The Diagnostic Process
Once a healthcare provider suspects leukemia based on symptoms and physical examination, diagnostic tests are performed to confirm the disease and identify its specific type. The process often begins with blood tests, commonly a complete blood count (CBC) and a peripheral blood smear. A CBC measures red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, often revealing abnormal counts in leukemia patients, such as low healthy cell levels or an unusually high number of abnormal white blood cells. A blood smear examines a blood drop under a microscope to identify the appearance and proportion of different blood cells, which can show immature or abnormal cells characteristic of leukemia.
If blood tests indicate potential leukemia, a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are conducted to confirm the diagnosis. During this procedure, a small sample of liquid bone marrow (aspiration) and a small piece of solid bone marrow (biopsy) are collected, typically from the hip bone. These samples are examined under a microscope for leukemia cells and to assess how much they have crowded out healthy blood-forming cells. Additional tests on the bone marrow samples, such as cytogenetics and molecular testing, identify specific genetic changes within the leukemia cells. This helps determine the exact type of leukemia and guides treatment decisions.