Can you feel fine and have leukemia?

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.

Can you have leukemia and not feel sick?

Chronic leukemia involves more-mature blood cells. 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.

Can you have leukemia with no symptoms?

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. Extreme fatigue is usually the first symptom that causes acute leukemia patients to seek medical care. They're tired for no apparent reason.

Can you have a mild case of leukemia?

The types of leukemia. The onset of leukemia can be acute (sudden onset) or chronic (slow onset). In acute leukemia, cancer cells multiply quickly. In chronic leukemia, the disease progresses slowly and early symptoms may be very mild.

What were your first symptoms of leukemia?

LEUKEMIA, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

What can leukemia be mistaken for?

How quickly do leukemia symptoms appear?

The signs or symptoms of leukemia may vary depending on whether you have an acute or chronic type of leukemia. Acute leukemia may cause signs and symptoms that are similar to the flu. They come on suddenly within days or weeks. Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all.

Can leukemia come on slowly?

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is a type of cancer that affects the white blood cells and tends to progress slowly over many years. It mostly affects people over the age of 60 and is rare in people under 40. Children are almost never affected.

Does leukemia always show up in blood work?

Blood tests.

By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.

Do you lose weight with leukemia?

However, significant unexplained weight loss that comes without a change in lifestyle may be a sign of an underlying medial disorder such as leukaemia. In fact, according to our most recent patient survey, around 19% of leukaemia patients reported weight loss as a major symptom that lead to their diagnosis.

What does leukemia fatigue feel like?

Unlike the fatigue that healthy people experience from time to time, CRF is more severe, often described as an overwhelming exhaustion that cannot be overcome with rest or a good night's sleep. Some people may also describe muscle weakness or difficulty concentrating.

What do leukemia blood spots look like?

One symptom that some people with leukemia might notice is tiny red spots on their skin. These pinpoints of blood are called petechiae. On fair and light skin tones, these may appear as red dots. On darker skin tones, they may be darker than the surrounding skin and less noticeable.

What are leukemia night sweats like?

Night sweats may be related to leukemia when they are excessive, causing a person to wake up drenched in sweat, even when in a comfortably cool room. In some cases, the sweating may be so excessive that a person has soaked their bed sheets or clothing to such an extent that they can no longer sleep on them.

What does leukemia pain feel like?

Leukemia bone pain is often felt in the legs, especially in childhood leukemia. Pain occurs when abnormal white blood cells accumulate and expand the bone marrow. It's either sharp or dull pain, depending on the location. Leukemia bone pain symptoms are typically constant and get worse when you move around.

What do leukemia headaches feel like?

A sudden, excruciating headache that quickly becomes unbearably painful to the point where you can't move. Sometimes called a “thunderclap headache”, this is the most concerning type of headache as it can be caused by a life-threatening bleed on the brain.

Where does leukemia start?

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.

Does a normal CBC rule out leukemia?

Complete blood count (CBC)

Immature blood cells (called leukemia cells, or blasts) are not normally seen in the blood, so doctors will suspect leukemia if there are blasts or blood cells do not look normal.

Can leukemia be missed in a blood test?

If your first alert to leukemia comes from routine blood testing, you're not alone. This happens because early symptoms of leukemia can be vague and easy to miss.

Can you have leukemia with normal WBC?

Leukemia can also present with very low white blood cell counts, because the immature cells get trapped in the bone marrow and are not detected in blood tests. A decreasing number of blasts in the blood indicates that you're responding to treatment.

How does leukemia show up in blood work?

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.

Do leukemia bruises hurt?

Examples of common early leukemia symptoms include: loss of appetite. bone pain. easily bruising.

Can you live a long life with leukemia?

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) can rarely be cured. Still, most people live with the disease for many years. Some people with CLL can live for years without treatment, but over time, most will need to be treated.

Do you cough with leukemia?

Leukemia is the term for cancer that starts in white blood cells. Coughing is a symptom of some types of leukemias, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). CLL can lead to a dry cough if the condition grows and enters the lungs.

What are symptoms similar to leukemia?

Does leukemia feel like the flu?

Some symptoms, like night sweats, fever, fatigue and achiness, resemble flu-like symptoms. Unlike symptoms of the flu, which generally subside as you 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.