Leukemia: Symptoms, Causes & Types of the Disease

For people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces an excessive amount of abnormal white blood cells, which don't function properly.

Symptoms

Leukemia symptoms may vary depending on the type of leukemia, however, the common leukemia signs and symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Persistent fatigue, weakness
• Frequent or severe infections
• Losing weight without trying
• Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen
• Easy bleeding or bruising
• Recurrent nosebleeds
• Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)
• Excessive sweating, especially at night
• Bone pain or tenderness

Causes

Scientists don't understand the exact causes of leukemia. It seems to develop from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

In general, leukemia is thought to occur when some blood cells acquire changes (mutations) in their genetic material or DNA.

Types of leukemia

The major types of leukemia are:

a) Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). This is the most common type of leukemia in young children. ALL can also occur in adults.

b) Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). AML is a common type of leukemia. It occurs in children and adults. AML is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.

c) Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). With CLL, the most common chronic adult leukemia, you may feel well for years without needing treatment.

d) Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). This type of leukemia mainly affects adults. A person with CML may have few or no symptoms for months or years before entering a phase in which the leukemia cells grow more quickly.

e) Other types. Other, rarer types of leukemia exist, including hairy cell leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative disorders.