Leukemia & Blood Cancers

• Bone pain or tenderness
• Easy bleeding or bruising
• Enlarged spleen or liver
• Excessive sweating, especially at night
• Extreme thirst
• Fever or chills
• Frequent nose bleeds
• Persistent weakness or fatigue
• Recurrent or severe infections
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Tiny red spots in your skin called petechiae
• Unexplained weight loss

Leukemia develops in your blood-forming tissues, such as your bone marrow and lymphatic system. It typically affects your white blood cells. White blood cells are produced in your bone marrow. They help your body fight infection and ward off disease. When working correctly, your bone marrow produces white blood cells. These cells grow and divide as needed.

Leukemia interferes with this healthy process and causes your bone marrow to develop large quantities of abnormal white blood cells.

There are four main types of leukemia:

• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) — begins in your bone marrow and progresses depending on its type. CLL is the most common form of leukemia in adults.
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) — causes too many white blood cells called lymphocytes or lymphoblasts. It may occur in adults but is most commonly found in children.
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) — occurs when there are changes to the genetic material in your bone marrow, leading to infection, anemia and abnormal bleeding.
• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) — occurs when you have a gene mutation called the Philadelphia chromosome. CML may cause few symptoms for a long time and then enter a period where they multiply rapidly.

Lymphoma affects the part of your immune system called the lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system includes your lymph glands, thymus gland, bone marrow and spleen. Lymphoma can affect all or part of those areas as well as other organs throughout your body.

The two main types of lymphomas are:

• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma — cancer of your lymphatic system that causes large abnormal cells, called Reed-Sternberg cells, to develop in your lymph nodes. It is the most common form of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma — lymphoma that starts in your lymphatic system that does not contain Reed-Sternberg cells.

Multiple myeloma affects your plasma cells and their ability to develop normally. Plasma cells are produced in your bone marrow. They make antibodies that fight infection and protect you from disease. Multiple myeloma causes cancerous plasma cells to build up in your bone marrow and cause tumors that crowd out normal blood cells.