What Are the Signs of Leukemia in Adults?

Leukemia is a cancer of blood cells and blood-forming tissues in the body, such as the bone marrow and lymphatic system. In people with leukemia, normal blood cells, usually white blood cells, start to grow uncontrolled. These abnormal white blood cells don’t function like healthy white blood cells do to fight infections.

There are many different types of leukemia, some of which are more common in children and others in adults.

Please keep reading to find out some of the signs and symptoms of leukemia in adults. This information can help you seek timely leukemia diagnosis and treatment.

What is the most common leukemia in adults?

The most common leukemias in adults are acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

To understand these terms better, you should know that doctors classify leukemias based on how rapidly the cancer progresses:

In acute leukemias, the abnormal cells multiply very quickly. They are immature blood cells that cannot function normally. The disease quickly gets worse and requires aggressive treatment.
In chronic leukemias, the abnormal blood cells multiply slowly and are more mature, so they can function somewhat normally. People with this type of leukemia may not have any symptoms in the early stage. Consequently, the disease can remain undiagnosed for several years.

The other type of leukemia classification is based on the type of white blood cell involved:

Lymphocytic leukemias affect lymphoid cells, which are part of the body’s immune system.
Myelogenous leukemias affect myeloid cells that develop into white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

What are the four main types of leukemia?

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) can occur in both children and adults. It is the most frequently occurring type of acute leukemia in adults.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is common in young children but also occurs in adults.
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) mainly affects adults.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of chronic leukemia in adults.

There are other types of leukemia that are much rarer, such as myelodysplastic syndromes, hairy cell leukemia, and myeloproliferative disorders.

What triggers leukemia in adults?

Some of the factors associated with an increased risk of developing leukemia include previous cancer treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation, genetic abnormalities, exposure to certain chemicals, smoking, and a family history of leukemia.

Keep in mind, however, that most people with these risk factors do not get leukemia. Also, some people with leukemia don’t have any known risk factors.

How do I check myself for leukemia?

It is not possible to check yourself for leukemia. Many leukemia symptoms, especially in the early stages, are nonspecific and can be similar to other common illnesses or other cancers. Noticeable symptoms of leukemia can also vary depending on the type of cells leukemia effects. It’s, therefore, important to have leukemia diagnosed by a healthcare professional.

With that said, some of the common symptoms and signs of leukemia can include:

Fevers and chills
Pale skin
Weakness and tiredness
Frequent infections
Unexplained weight loss
Swollen lymph nodes
Enlarged liver or spleen
Easy bleeding or bruising
Petechiae (tiny red spots on the skin)
Recurrent nosebleeds
Bleeding gums
Bone pain
Excessive sweating, especially night sweats

If you have the above symptoms, it’s important to see your healthcare professional for further investigation.

Can leukemia be detected in a blood test?

Doctors can diagnose chronic leukemias through routine blood work even before any symptoms are present. Acute leukemias, as mentioned above, tend to progress quickly and cause symptoms.

Your healthcare providers will correlate the results of your blood tests with your symptoms and physical exam findings to make a diagnosis of leukemia.

Keep in mind that a blood test may not show the presence of abnormal leukemia cells if they remain in the bone marrow. A bone marrow test may be necessary to identify leukemia cells. This involves obtaining a sample of bone marrow from the hip bone using a long, thin needle. Other specialized tests are available to find specific characteristics of leukemia cells, based on which your doctors will recommend treatment options.

What is the treatment for leukemia?

Leukemia treatment depends on various factors, such as the type of leukemia, your age and general health status, and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. Some of the options for leukemia treatment include:

Chemotherapy with a single drug or a combination of drugs.
Radiation therapy using X-rays and other high-energy beams.
Targeted therapy drugs that take advantage of specific characteristics of cancer cells to block their growth.
Bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant to help re-establish leukemia-free stem cells and healthy blood cells in your bone marrow.
Immunotherapy to prevent cancer cells from hiding from your body’s immune system.
CAR-T cell therapy in which immune cells are engineered to fight cancer.
Experimental therapies as part of clinical trials.