What are the early symptoms of blood cancer?
Dec 12, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Li Feng
Introduction
Leukemia, commonly known as blood cancer, primarily presents early symptoms such as signs related to anemia, tendency to bleed, infections with fever, swollen lymph nodes, and bone or joint pain. If any of the above symptoms occur, prompt medical evaluation at a正规 hospital is necessary. Anemia-related manifestations: patients may exhibit pale complexion, dizziness, fatigue, palpitations, and shortness of breath.
Leukemia, commonly known as blood cancer, typically presents with early symptoms including manifestations related to anemia, bleeding tendencies, infections with fever, swollen lymph nodes, and bone or joint pain. If any of these symptoms occur, it is important to promptly visit a正规 hospital for evaluation and diagnosis.
1. Anemia-related manifestations: Patients may appear pale, feel dizzy and weak, and experience palpitations and shortness of breath, especially during physical activity. Symptoms may worsen with exertion, and some patients may also show signs of fatigue, poor concentration, or low spirits. These are caused by leukemia cells suppressing normal blood cell production in the bone marrow.
2. Bleeding tendencies: Common signs include petechiae (small red or purple spots) and bruising on the skin and mucous membranes. Gum bleeding and nosebleeds are frequent, while some patients may develop internal bleeding such as hemoptysis (coughing up blood) or gastrointestinal bleeding (blood in stool). These are closely associated with reduced platelet counts.
3. Infections and fever: Fever is often irregular and can range from low-grade to high-grade (temperature exceeding 38.5°C). It is frequently accompanied by infections in the respiratory tract, urinary system, or oral cavity, which tend to be persistent and difficult to control due to impaired immune function caused by leukemia cells.
4. Swollen lymph nodes: Painless enlargement of lymph nodes commonly occurs in the neck, armpits, and groin areas. The nodes are usually soft to moderately firm, may appear singly or merge into clusters, and are generally non-tender.
5. Bone and joint pain: Pain may be dull, aching, or severe, commonly affecting the sternum, ribs, limbs, bones, and joints. The location of pain may vary and, in some cases, can limit mobility.
Treatment primarily involves chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Supportive care includes ensuring adequate rest, providing a diet rich in protein, calories, and easy to digest, maintaining cleanliness of the skin and mucous membranes, avoiding trauma to prevent bleeding, and offering psychological support to reduce patient stress.
