In very rare cases, itchy skin can be caused by a serious underlying condition such as leukaemia. According to our patient survey “Living Well with Leukaemia”, around 9% of people with leukaemia will experience itchy skin as a symptom prior to their diagnosis.
Treatment rashes: Leukemia treatments—including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy—may cause rashes. Rashes can appear on multiple body parts (e.g., scalp, neck, upper body). Symptoms include itching, burning, stinging, or pain.
This could be a sign of a squamous cell or basal cell skin carcinoma. Cancers that can also be associated with itching include lymphoma, polycythemia vera (PV), certain gastrointestinal cancers, and melanoma.
Itchy skin could be a sign of skin cancer if it is accompanied by: A new skin growth or lesion. A change in a mole, such as a spread of pigment beyond the border. A sore that continually crusts over but doesn't heal.
Doctors think it may be due to substances released by the tumour or by the body reacting to the tumour. The itching tends to be all over the body but worse on the legs and chest. It usually goes when you have treatment for the cancer.
Itching associated with lymphoma can feel like it is occurring below your skin and can't be satiated by scratching. It can be extremely distracting and usually isn't helped by creams or medications. Itching from lymphoma tends to occur more frequently on the lower half of the body and often gets worse at night.
Itching caused by lymphoma can affect: areas of skin near lymph nodes that are affected by lymphoma. patches of skin lymphoma. your lower legs.
See your health care provider or a skin disease specialist (dermatologist) if the itching: Lasts more than two weeks and doesn't improve with self-care measures. Is severe and distracts you from your daily routines or prevents you from sleeping. Comes on suddenly and can't be easily explained.
As well as leukaemia, two other blood cancers are distinctly notorious for causing itchy skin: lymphoma and polycythaemia vera (PV). Generally speaking, itching in lymphoma is caused by a specific type called Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), with 1 in 3 HL patients experiencing it as a symptom before their diagnosis.
Dry, itchy skin is often a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. As vitamin D is created through skin exposure to the sun and cholesterol in the skin, in the winter months, when sunlight exposure is less, people often experience dry, itchy skin attributing it to the cold weather.
Leukemia may cause a skin rash that looks like red, brown, or purple little dots, and sometimes may resemble bruises. These result from burst capillaries and may be an early sign of the condition. In advanced leukemia stages, skin rashes may look like bumps, nodules, blisters, or ulcers.
Common leukemia signs and symptoms include: Fever or chills. Persistent fatigue, weakness. Frequent or severe infections.
Infections and Fevers
Your blood cells help your immune system function. When these cells are unhealthy, your body's immune system can't function normally causing you to get sick more often. One of the most common first symptoms of leukemia is frequent fevers and infection.
Your doctor will conduct a complete blood count (CBC) to determine if you have leukemia. This test may reveal if you have leukemic cells. Abnormal levels of white blood cells and abnormally low red blood cell or platelet counts can also indicate leukemia.
During the progression of leukemia, white blood cells (neoplastic leukocytes) found in bone marrow may begin to filter into the layers of the skin, resulting in skin lesions. “It looks like red-brown to purple firm bumps or nodules and represents the leukemia cells depositing in the skin,” Forrestel says.
The causes of skin itching, or pruritis, are usually harmless. They are often temporary issues such as dry skin or a bug bite. Less commonly, nerves, kidneys, thyroid, or liver issues can cause itching sensations without necessarily causing a rash.
Itching is a symptom of many health conditions. Some common causes are: Allergic reactions to food, insect bites, pollen, and medicines. Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin.
Disease Overview
Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease where an extremely itchy, symmetrically distributed rash appears most commonly on the arms, legs, the upper back and/or the abdomen. The itch associated with PN is so severe that it often interferes with sleep and psychological wellbeing.
Pruritis (itching) is a form of dysesthesias and may occur as a symptom of MS. It is one of the family of abnormal sensations — such as “pins and needles” and burning, stabbing, or tearing pains — which may be experienced by people with MS. These sensations are known as dysesthesias, and they are neurologic in origin.
They can look like more common skin conditions such as dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis. The patches tend to be dry, sometimes scaly and may be itchy. They are most common on the buttocks or between the waist and shoulders (the torso), but can occur anywhere on the body.
1 Hodgkin itch can develop weeks and even months before other clinical signs of lymphoma. Itching can be extremely severe and has a negative impact on a person's quality of life.