Leukemia symptoms vary and depend on the extent of the disease. Patients with a form of acute leukemia may have one or more symptoms that develop suddenly and may require urgent medical attention. If patients have a form of chronic leukemia, symptoms may not appear for a period of time—when symptoms do appear they are generally mild and gradually get worse.

In acute leukemia, abnormal cells may collect in the brain or spinal cord, causing headaches, vomiting, confusion, loss of muscle control, and seizures. Leukemia cells may also collect in the testicles and cause swelling. Some patients develop sores around the eyes, skin or notice problems with their gums. Chronic leukemia, may affect the skin, central nervous system, digestive tract, kidneys, and testicles.

Blood clotting – As immature white blood cells crowd out blood platelets—crucial for blood clotting—patients may bruise or bleed easily and heal slowly. Patients may develop petechiae (small red to purple spots on the body caused by minor hemorrhages).

Affected immune system – Patient’s white blood cells, which are crucial for fighting infections, may be suppressed or not working properly and infections may occur often. At times, the patient’s immune system may attack healthy cells.

Anemia – Anemia may occur when there is a shortage of red blood cells—this may lead to difficult or labored respiration (dyspnea) and pallor (pale skin caused by anemia).

Other symptoms – Nausea, fever, chills, night sweats, flu-like symptoms, and tiredness are some other symptoms patients may experience. If the liver or spleen becomes enlarged due to leukemia, the patient may often feel full, resulting in weight loss. Headaches are also prevalent in patients whose cancerous cells have invaded the central nervous system (CNS).