Many people wonder what are the early symptoms of leukemia? Early detection of the disease and innovative treatments also lead to a cure for cancer and help people with cancer live longer.

So if you suffer from leukemia, or you have a loved one suffering from cancer, and you would like to know all the information related to this disease, follow this article with us.

What is leukemia

Blood cancer is also called leukemia, a term that comes from the Greek words leukos, meaning white, and haima, meaning blood.

Leukemias are cancers of immature (i.e. still developing) white blood cells that begin in the bone marrow, where most of the body's blood is made.

Unlike other types of cancer, leukemia is generally not a mass or tumor that shows up on imaging tests, such as X-rays or CT scans.

There are many types of leukemia.

أعراض سرطان الدم المبكرة

The first signs of leukemia depend on the type السرطان Which you may be infected with.

You will experience these symptoms for more than two weeks, including: أعراض سرطان الدم المبكرة الآتي: 

Fatigue

You may feel tired all the time, due to anemia.

فقدان الشهية

You may not feel like eating, due to an enlarged spleen and pressure on the stomach.

Flu-like symptoms

Such as: fever and chills, These symptoms can occur when there are not enough healthy white blood cells to fight pathogens, and this also leads to recurrent infections.

Night sweats

Scientists do not yet understand why these symptoms occur.

Red spots on the skin

Not having enough cells that help blood clot (platelets) may cause red spots on the skin, easy bleeding, and bruising.

Bone pain and joint pain

People with leukemia will likely have bone pain, joint pain, or another bone-related problem as their first symptom.

Therefore, you should visit a doctor immediately if you notice changes in your body that are early symptoms of leukemia, especially if these are: Symptoms get worse over time.

أقرأ أيضا عن Early symptoms of bone cancer

Early symptoms of leukemia in women

Early symptoms of leukemia in women often go unnoticed, but women can experience the following symptoms:

• الحمى.
• الإرهاق.
• التعب.
• Symptoms are very similar to the signs of menopause.
• التعرق الليلي.
• ضيق في التنفس.
• Feeling full.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Severe bleeding.
• Easy bruising.
• Younger patients may have more or longer menstrual cycles.

أعراض سرطان الدم المتأخرة

As leukemia progresses, you may develop new, or more serious, symptoms as your blood cell count continues to decline.

Symptoms of late leukemia include:

• Recurrent infections, such as:

1. Chronic respiratory infections.
2. Gastrointestinal infections.
3. التهابات الجلد.

• Severe anemia, which causes the following:

1. الصداع.
2. التهيج.
3. Anorexia.
4. ضيق في التنفس.
5. Extreme fatigue.
6. الدوخة.
7. pallor.
8. Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
9. More severe bleeding and bruising
10. طفح جلدي.
11. تورم البطن.
12. تورم العقد الليمفاوية.
13. Other cancers.
14. Dry mouth and lips.
15. انسداد الأنف.
16. Loss of awareness and ability to respond.
17. فقدان السيطرة على المثانة.
18. الهلوسة.
19. Skin that is cold to the touch and turns blue or dark in color.

Constant fatigue, sudden bruising, or frequent bleeding are not always normal. Oncology center

أعراض سرطان الدم على الجلد

Early symptoms of leukemia can develop and cause skin symptoms, such as: 

• النمش.
• Red, brown, or purple spots on the skin, which are called leukocytic rash.
• تقرحات الفم.
• تورم اللثة.
• Changes in skin color.
• Skin infections.
• Easy bruising and bleeding.
• Appearance of lumps under the skin.
• شحوب الجلد.
• Nail infection.
• Blisters that look like pimples.

You can also see أعراض سرطان المعدة

أنواع سرطان الدم

Leukemia can be classified according to the following: –

1. The speed of disease progression.
2. The type of cell that has the disease.

First, leukemia is divided according to the speed of the disease’s development into the following: 

• Acute leukemia:The blood cells divide rapidly, and the disease develops quickly.

Leukemia is life-threatening and requires immediate initiation of treatment.

Leukemia is the most common among children.

• Chronic leukemia:Chronic leukemia progresses more slowly than acute leukemia.

This type is more common in adults than in children.

Secondly, leukemia is classified according to the cell type:

It is divided based on the place where the disease began, such as:

• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common type. It usually occurs in young children, but is more likely to occur in adults.

This type begins in lymphocytes in the bone marrow, and often spreads quickly in the blood to other parts of the body, such as:

1. Central nervous system (brain, spinal cord).
2. الكبد.
3. الطحال.
4. Testicles in males.

• Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML):This type is one of the most common aggressive types in adults.

 This type begins in myeloid cells in the bone marrow, and can spread quickly in the blood and then to the following parts:

1. Central nervous system (brain, spinal cord).
2. الكبد.
3. الطحال.
4. Testicles in males.

• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL):This is the most common type of leukemia that grows slowly and usually affects older people.

This type begins in white blood cells (lymphocytes) in the bone marrow and then slowly develops.

A person with CLL may feel fine for several years before experiencing symptoms and seeking treatment.

It can eventually enter the blood and spread to other parts of the body.

• Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML): This type usually affects adults, and is sometimes called chronic myeloid leukemia.

This type begins in myeloid cells in the bone marrow, then grows slowly, so early symptoms of leukemia may not appear, and symptoms appear after several months or years.

This type can eventually enter the blood and spread to other parts of the body.

• Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML): This type begins in myeloid cells in the bone marrow, and people with CMML usually develop:

1. تضخم الطحال.
2. Lack of some types of blood cells.
3. The presence of a large number of monocytes (a type of white blood cell).

    CMML usually affects older people, can eventually enter the blood, and can lead to chronic myeloid leukemia.

أسباب سرطان الدم

Leukemia begins when the DNA of one cell in the bone marrow, which helps the cell grow and develop, changes.

Therefore, due to the mutation that occurs in the DNA, leukemia cells continue to multiply, and all cells emerging from the mutant cell contain the mutated DNA.

The cause of acute leukemia is unknown, but factors that may put some people at risk include:

1. Exposure to intense radiation.
2. Exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene.
3. Viruses, such as human T-cell leukemia virus.

One of the causes of chronic myeloid leukemia is that some people have an abnormal chromosome called the Philadelphia chromosome, and they have also been exposed to high levels of radiation.

تشخيص سرطان الدم

The results of routine blood tests can indicate that you have leukemia, so your doctor may ask you to undergo further tests and examinations to confirm the disease.

Tests and examinations include the following:

الفحص البدني

The doctor may ask you whether you have any early symptoms of leukemia, and then begin by examining the following:

• Lymph nodes.
• الطحال.
• الكبد.
• gums.
• Skin rashes associated with leukemia.

Complete blood count (CBC)

The results of this test indicate abnormal levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Blood cell examination

The doctor takes additional samples to check for signs that indicate the presence of leukemia cells, or a certain type of leukemia.

خزعة نخاع العظم

The doctor resorts to obtaining a bone marrow biopsy if you have an abnormal number of white blood cells. The biopsy helps determine the percentage of abnormal cells in the bone marrow, which confirms the diagnosis of the disease.

Photography

Your doctor may order a chest X-ray, CT scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) if your symptoms indicate that the leukemia has affected your organs, tissues or bones.

Lumbar puncture

Your doctor may test a sample of your spinal fluid to see if the leukemia has spread to the spinal fluid surrounding your brain.

You can also learn about: ما هي أسباب سرطان المستقيم؟ وكيف يمكن تشخيصه وعلاجه؟

علاج سرطان الدم

When early symptoms of leukemia appear, you must go to the doctor immediately, in order to begin the appropriate treatment for your condition.

The treatment depends on the following:

• عمرك.
• صحتك العامة.
• The type of leukemia you have.
• Has the leukemia spread to your organs or other tissues?

Common treatments often include a combination of the following:

• Chemotherapy: It is the most common treatment for leukemia, where chemicals are used to kill leukemia cells and prevent them from multiplying.

Chemotherapy can be in the form of pills, or an injection into a vein.

• Immunotherapy: This treatment uses certain medications to boost your immune system to fight leukemia.
• Targeted therapy: This treatment uses medications designed to attack specific parts of the leukemia cell, such as a protein or gene, which causes normal blood cells to multiply.

Targeted therapies may prevent cancer cells from multiplying, cut off the cells' blood supply, or kill them outright.

• Radiotherapy: يستخدم Radiotherapy Strong energy beams, or X-rays, to kill leukemia cells or prevent them from growing.
• Stem cell or bone marrow transplant: Before chemotherapy or radiation therapy, your doctor takes healthy blood cells from your brain or bone marrow to replace cancer cells killed by chemotherapy or radiation.

Healthy cells can also come from a donor.

• T cell therapy (T-CAR):The doctor takes T-CAR cells, or lymphocytes, from your body, genetically alters them, and transplants them back into your body to fight cancer cells.

Conclusion

In conclusion, dear reader, I have now realized the answer to your question about what are the early symptoms of leukemia.

Therefore, if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, you must immediately go to Al Mousa Hospital, in order to receive the appropriate treatment for your condition, after undergoing the necessary examinations and tests for you.

 Frequently asked questions

Does leukemia appear in a regular blood test?

Yes.

Does chemotherapy eliminate leukemia?

Yes, this happens if the patient is in the early stages of the disease, as chemotherapy helps eliminate the largest possible number of cancer cells, and also contributes to destroying any cancer cells that may have spread in the body.

What color is leukemia blood?

In cases of leukemia, the color of the blood does not change, as the color of the blood remains red as it is, but changes occur in its components, such as the number of white or red blood cells, and not in its apparent color.

Is blood infection the same as leukemia?

No, sepsis is a severe immune response to infection and is also called sepsis, while leukemia is a cancerous disease that affects blood cells and bone marrow, and their causes and treatment are completely different.

Does leukemia cause dizziness?

Yes, dizziness may be an early symptom of leukemia, as a lack of red blood cells leads to a decrease in the level of oxygen reaching the brain, causing a feeling of dizziness or frequent fatigue.