Leukemia Cancer

Are you concerned that you or a loved one needs to be screened for leukemia? While there is a routine blood test that can easily confirm or rule out the disease, leukemia patients often show several similar symptoms. Here are some symptoms of leukemia cancer that may help you decide if it is time for you to talk to a doctor.
Fatigue, weakness or a general malaise
Some leukemia patients report either feeling weaker than usual or tiring out easily while doing routine daily tasks. If you have such feelings of fatigue, they could be due to lower levels of normal blood cells in the bloodstream as the leukemia cells crowd into the bone marrow. You may also have the sense of a general pain throughout your body, as if you had strained or overexerted every muscle at once.
Weight loss and abdominal pain/bloating
Some leukemia patients report pain in their abdomen or a stretched, "full" feeling, regardless of whether or not they have eaten recently. This can translate into rapid weight loss if you never feel hungry or if your stomach hurts when you eat. You might also experience bloating or distension in the abdomen itself.
Excessive or easy bruising
Some leukemia patients begin to bruise much more easily than they did previously. This again is due to the thinning of normal blood cells in the bloodstream as the leukemia cells begin to breed and multiply. If you are experiencing abnormal or unusually heavy bleeding, this can possibly be another leukemia symptom.
Remember that nearly one in five leukemia patients show no symptoms prior to diagnosis. The symptoms listed above are not infallible indicators that you do or do not have the disease, so listen to your doctor's advice about whether to get a routine blood test to rule out any cancer diagnosis.

Posted in: cancer,Leukemia Cancer