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Our comprehensive booklet on ALL includes a glossary of terms and details on what to expect during each stage of diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.
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Signs and symptoms are changes in the body that may indicate disease. A sign is a change that the doctor sees during an examination or on a laboratory test result. A symptom is a change that a patient can see and/or feel.
A person who has signs or symptoms that suggest the possibility of leukemia is usually referred to a specialist. This is a hematologist-oncologist. A hematologist-oncologist is a doctor who has special training in diagnosing and treating blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma.
It is common for someone with ALL to feel a loss of well-being because of the underproduction of normal blood cells. This happens when the leukemia cells in the bone marrow crowd out the normal blood-making cells. Consequently, patients with ALL do not have a sufficient number of mature red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
The information on this page covers signs and symptoms of ALL in adults. Visit childhood ALL to learn about signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment information for children with ALL.
Signs and symptoms of ALL
Symptoms of anemia (low red blood cell count) include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath during normal physical activities
- Dizziness
- Pale complexion
Symptoms of neutropenia (low number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cells) include:
- Frequent infections
- Fever
Symptoms of thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) include:
- Bruising easily
- Prolonged bleeding from minor cuts
- The appearance of pinhead-sized red spots on the skin, called “petechiae”
- Frequent or severe nosebleeds
- Bleeding gums
- Heavier or more frequent menstrual periods
Other general symptoms of ALL include:
- Night sweats
- Discomfort in bones or joints
- Enlarged spleen, liver, or lymph nodes
- Pain or feeling of fullness below the ribs
- Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
- Wheezing, coughing, or painful breathing
The signs and symptoms of ALL are common to other, less serious illnesses. However, if you're troubled by any of these symptoms, see your doctor.
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