Blood cancer signs and symptoms

Unexplained weight loss

Cause: Cancer cells and the body’s reaction to them can alter your body’s metabolism and reduce muscle and fat.

What you might expect: Weight loss that seems unusual based on your current diet and exercise.

Unexplained bruising or bleeding

Cause: Low level of platelets, which help the blood to clot.

What you might expect:

• You may have bleeding from your nose or gums, prolonged bleeding from a cut, heavy periods, or blood in your urine or poo.
• In very rare cases, there may be a bleed into the brain, which can cause neurological symptoms.
• Petechiae – tiny, unraised red blood spots under the skin, often starting on legs.
• On darker skin, they show up as darker than the skin around them.

Lumps or swellings

Cause: Abnormal white blood cells building up in your lymph glands

What you might expect:

• Most likely to notice these in your neck, armpit or groin.> 
• Usually painless, although some people find they ache.> 
• If there are lumps or swellings further inside your body, and they press on organs such as your lungs, this may cause pain, discomfort or breathlessness.>

Shortness of breath

Cause: Anaemia (a low level of red blood cells). 

What you might expect:

• Breathlessness even when you’re resting.
• Feeling faint or lightheaded.
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat.

Drenching night sweats

Cause: Unknown

What you might expect: Some people with lymphoma or leukaemia have drenching night sweats but we don’t know what causes this

Repeat or severe infections

Cause: Low level of white blood cells, which fight infection.

What you might expect:

• Infections that are persistent, recurrent or severe.
• Flu-like symptoms such as chills or shivering, coughing or a sore throat.
• Mouth ulcers that don’t go away.

Regular and frequent fevers

Cause: Low level of white blood cells, which fight infection. 

What you might expect: Fever of 38°C or above even if there aren’t any other obvious signs of infection.

Unexplained rash or itchy skin

Cause: Rashes can be caused by a low level of platelets.Some people with blood cancer experience itching, but we don’t fully understand what causes this yet.

What you might expect:

• You may notice small red spots in the skin (petechiae) or a purple rash (purpura). 
• Petechiae and purpura don’t fade when you press on them.
• Itching due to lymphoma can be severe. It may also cause a burning sensation. 
• On darker skin, these will appear darker than the surrounding skin.

Pain in your bone, joints or abdomen

Cause: Damage to your bones (bones and joints) and abnormal blood cells building up in your spleen (abdominal pain).

What you might expect:

• Myeloma can cause pain in any major bones such as your back, ribs or hips.
• You may feel full after only eating small amounts, have discomfort under your ribs on the left side, have bloating or swelling, or occasionally pain.

Fatigue

Cause: Anaemia (a low level of red blood cells)

What you might expect:

• Tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest or sleep.
• Feeling faint and headaches.

Unusually pale complexion

Cause: Anaemia (a low level of red blood cells). 

What you might expect:

• Unusually pale complexion (pallor).
• Feeling faint and headaches.
• People with darker skin may look greyish with pale palms on their hands.