What are the symptoms of leukaemia?

Different types of leukaemia cause different symptoms. Sometimes, a person will have no symptoms, or vague symptoms such as an ongoing cold ^[12]. Symptoms of acute leukaemia often occur quickly over a few weeks, while chronic leukaemia is likely to show no symptoms, or mild symptoms which develop slowly ^[13].

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) symptoms include:

tiredness and other sign of anaemia such as weakness, shortness of breath and a pale complexion – caused by a lack of red blood cells
fever and infections that don’t go away, mouth sores, sore throats, coughing, boils and frequent and painful passing of urine – caused by a lack of white blood cells ^[14]
bruising and bleeding easily, nosebleeds, bleeding gums and heavy periods in women – caused by a lack of platelets ^[15]
weight loss
night sweats
loss of appetite
swelling or discomfort ^[16] in the abdomen – caused by a buildup of leukaemia cells in the liver and spleen
enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin
pain in the bones or joints
coughing and trouble breathing – caused by an enlarged thymus (a specialised organ of the immune system, located in the chest)
a serious syndrome caused by the thymus pressing on the superior vena cava (the major vein that carries blood from the upper body back to the heart)
less common symptoms including bone or joint pain, swollen and tender gums, skin rashes, headaches, weight loss, vision problems, vomiting and chest pains ^[17].

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) symptoms include:

tiredness and other sign of anaemia such as weakness, shortness of breath and a pale complexion – caused by a lack of red blood cells
fever and infections that don’t go away, mouth sores, sore throats, coughing, boils and frequent and painful passing of urine – caused by a lack of white blood cells ^[18]
bruising and bleeding easily, nosebleeds, bleeding gums and heavy periods in women – caused by a lack of platelets ^[19]
symptoms similar to stroke that result from clogging of blood vessels with leukaemia cells
weight loss
night sweats
loss of appetite
swelling or discomfort ^[20] in the abdomen – caused by a buildup of leukaemia cells in the liver and spleen
enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin
pain in the bones or joints
a serious syndrome caused by the thymus pressing on the superior vena cava (the major vein that carries blood from the upper body back to the heart)
coughing and trouble breathing – caused by an enlarged thymus (a specialised organ of the immune system, located in the chest) ^[21]
less common symptoms including bone or joint pain, swollen and tender gums, skin rashes, headaches, weight loss, vision problems, vomiting and chest pains ^[22].

Chronic lymphoblastic leukaemia (CLL) symptoms are rare, but may include:

tiredness – caused by a lack of red blood cells (anaemia)
weakness
fever or chills ^[23]
weight loss
night sweats
enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin
bruising or bleeding – caused by a lack of platelets ^[24]
frequent and long-lasting infections – caused by a lack of white blood cells ^[25]
swelling in the abdomen, as a result of buildup of leukaemia cells in the liver and spleen
pain and/or feeling of fullness in the abdomen after eating only small amounts – caused by an enlarged spleen ^[26]
symptoms resulting from low blood cell counts, including tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, infections that don’t go away, bruising and bleeding easily.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) symptoms include:

tiredness – caused by a lack of red blood cells (anaemia)
weakness
fever
weight loss
night sweats
enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, underarms or groin ^[27]
bone pain – caused by leukaemia cells spreading from the bone marrow cavity to the surface of the bone or into the joint ^[28]
bruising or bleeding – caused by a lack of platelets ^[29]
frequent and long-lasting infections – caused by a lack of white blood cells ^[30]
swelling in the abdomen, as a result of buildup of leukaemia cells in the liver and spleen
pain and/or feeling of fullness in the abdomen after eating only small amounts – caused by an enlarged spleen ^[31]
symptoms resulting from low blood cell counts, including tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, infections that don’t go away, bruising and bleeding easily.