The white cells in the blood grow very quickly, over a matter of days to weeks. Sometimes a patient with acute leukemia has no symptoms or has normal blood work even a few weeks or months before the diagnosis. The change can be quite dramatic.
These blood cells replicate or accumulate more slowly and can function normally for a period of time. Some forms of chronic leukemia initially produce no early symptoms and can go unnoticed or undiagnosed for years.
Some signs of leukemia, like night sweats, fever, fatigue and achiness, resemble flu-like symptoms. Unlike symptoms of the flu, which generally subside as patients get better, leukemia symptoms generally last longer than two weeks, and may include sudden weight loss, bone and joint pain and easy bleeding or bruising.
Leukaemic cancer cells can 'go to sleep' and thus avoid the effects of chemotherapy, sometimes for years. It turns out that whether the cell is in this dormant state or not increases its chances of surviving chemotherapy and is completely independent from its mutations, as previously assumed.
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.
Some types of leukemia can stay confined to the bone marrow for a while, so they may not be detectable in the blood. Your team may order a bone marrow biopsy to check the cells in the bone marrow, where leukemia starts.
Stage I: The patient has lymphocytosis and enlarged lymph nodes. The patient does not have an enlarged liver or spleen, anemia, or low levels of platelets. Stage II: The patient has lymphocytosis and an enlarged spleen and/or liver and may or may not have swollen lymph nodes.
Leukemia is commonly misdiagnosed as the following conditions: Influenza. Fever. Pathological fracture.
Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all. Signs and symptoms usually develop gradually. People with a chronic leukemia often complain that they just do not feel well. The disease is often found during a routine blood test.
They occur in unusual places – In cases of leukaemia, quite often bruises will appear in places that you wouldn't normally expect, especially; the back, legs, and hands.
Decreased appetite. Weight loss. Enlarged spleen and/or lymph nodes. Recurring or chronic infections in areas such as the skin, lungs, or kidneys.
Weight loss
CLL itself uses up energy that your body would otherwise use or store. So you may lose weight, even if you eat normally. Rarely, an enlarged spleen may also increase the weight loss by squashing your stomach and making you feel full more quickly than usual.
Here is a list of some symptoms you might have if you have cancer related fatigue: lack of energy – you may just want to stay in bed all day. feeling you just cannot be bothered to do much. sleeping problems such as unable to sleep or disturbed sleep.
Chronic Leukemia May Go Undetected
Because chronic leukemia is very slow-growing and may not cause symptoms, it's common for the disease to first be detected in normal blood work when a patient goes to the doctor for a regular checkup.
Complete blood count (CBC): This blood test lets your healthcare provider know if you have abnormal levels of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. If you have leukemia, you'll likely have higher than normal counts of white blood cells.
How is leukemia diagnosed? A diagnosis of leukemia is usually made by analyzing a patient's blood sample through a complete blood count (CBC) or microscopic evaluation of the blood, or by using flow cytometry.
Myelodysplastic syndrome refers to a group of related disorders in which abnormal blood-forming cells develop in the bone marrow. At first, these cells interfere with the production of normal blood cells. Later, these cells may become cancerous, turning into a form of leukemia .
Stage 2 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic. He or she may also have enlarged lymph nodes. Stage 3 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic. He or she may also have enlarged lymph nodes and/or an enlarged liver or spleen.
Leukemia starts in the soft, inner part of the bones (bone marrow), but often moves quickly into the blood. It can then spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system and other organs.
The most common leukemia biomarkers are CD (cluster of differentiation) markers, an extremely diverse series of membrane proteins predominantly expressed on the leukocyte surface. CD markers are mostly useful for classifying white blood cells (WBC) and especially important for diagnosis of lymphomas and leukemias.
If caught early, leukemia can be cured by undergoing several cancer treatments.