Early symptoms of childhood leukemia

Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
Updated on September 19, 2024
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Generally speaking, leukemia can manifest symptoms related to a decrease in all three blood cell lines. Changes in these three lines typically include an increase or decrease in white blood cells, a decrease in red blood cells leading to symptoms of anemia, and a reduction in platelets, resulting in symptoms of bleeding. Children with leukemia often experience recurrent fevers and are prone to infections, as well as bleeding gums. There may also be enlargement of the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes, along with pallor of the face and lips, which appear pale and bloodless.

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Chronic granulocytic leukemia symptoms

The clinical symptoms of chronic myeloid leukemia can be divided into two phases: 1. During the chronic phase, the earliest subjective symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, and abdominal discomfort. Other symptoms may also appear such as general malaise, decreased endurance, and nausea. Some patients may exhibit signs of increased basal metabolism, such as sweating, weight loss, palpitations, and nervousness. As the disease progresses, patients may experience enlargement of the liver and spleen. An enlarged spleen can cause abdominal bloating, discomfort in the upper left abdomen, and a feeling of fullness after eating. In a few cases, bleeding may occur in the early stages. In female patients, excessive menstruation is common, and while bone pain and joint pain are less common at initial diagnosis, they can also occur. 2. During the accelerated phase, patients often exhibit unexplained low-grade fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, night sweats, and increased weight loss. These symptoms are accompanied by rapid enlargement of the spleen causing discomfort and fullness, sudden swelling of lymph nodes, clear sternal tenderness, and osteolytic changes in bones leading to bone pain. Anemia also progressively worsens. Once patients enter the blast crisis phase, they may show extramedullary infiltration symptoms such as skin nodules, testicular infiltration, abnormal penile erections, and the appearance of green tumors in the eye sockets, among other serious complications.

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Is sternal pain leukemia?

There are many causes of chest pain, and it is not necessarily only leukemia. For young people or children, sometimes injuries such as those from car accidents, sleeping on the stomach, or accidentally bumping into chair backs or table corners can cause sternal pain. However, persistent sternal pain in children should be carefully examined for the possibility of blood disorders. Of course, this can be ruled out through chest CT scans, or, if necessary, a small sternal biopsy under local anesthesia to check for leukemia. But for adults, there are many other possible causes of chest pain, such as gastrointestinal ulcers, stomach ulcers, and duodenal ulcers which can radiate to the surrounding area of the sternum causing pain. Additionally, some anatomical organs behind the sternum such as heart diseases, coronary artery disease, and angina can also cause sternal pain. Thymomas, thymus cancer, an enlarged thyroid, and lymphoma can all lead to sternal pain. Other malignant tumors, like lung cancer, if involving the sternum can also cause this pain. Therefore, not all cases of sternal pain are definitely due to leukemia.

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Is leukemia treatment free?

Leukemia is a type of malignant tumor originating from hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells in the myeloid hematopoietic system. Leukemia cells differentiate and organize at the early stages of different myeloid developments, exhibiting the morphological and immunophenotypic characteristics of myeloid development. The incidence of acute myeloid leukemia in the population is 2-4/100,000, with the median age of onset being sixty-four to seventy years, making it a disease of the elderly. The incidence increases with age, accounting for 70% of acute leukemias, and representing 55%-70% of infant, 17%-20% of childhood, and 80%-90% of adult acute leukemias. Regarding the medical insurance situation in China, some leukemia conditions are eligible for major illness assistance. All leukemia treatments can be reimbursed at a certain ratio under the national health insurance, although there is no free treatment for leukemia at present, unless one participates in relevant clinical trials, which could offer some compensation, and certain treatment drugs are provided free of charge.

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Is bleeding gums leukemia?

Gum bleeding is not necessarily leukemia; it could also be gingivitis, periodontitis, or other diseases of the hematopoietic system. Gum bleeding is a common clinical symptom of gingivitis, caused by irritants like dental plaque and tartar around the teeth, keeping the gum tissue in a congested state. If persistent, this can lead to gum bleeding. This condition can be improved by dental cleaning, followed by medicated rinses around the teeth. If the situation does not improve, it may be due to periapical abscess caused by periapical inflammation of the tooth, which can also result in gum bleeding. In this case, root canal treatment is required, and once the inflammation in the root canal is controlled, the gum bleeding may alleviate on its own. If neither of these treatments is effective, it could be due to an underlying hematopoietic system disease, which would require further examination.

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The Difference Between Acute Leukemia and Chronic Leukemia

The difference between acute and chronic leukemia lies in the maturity stage of the leukemia cells. Acute leukemia is characterized by more immature leukemia cells, while chronic leukemia cells tend to be more mature. Acute leukemia is further divided into acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Among them, acute myeloid leukemia is subdivided into eight types, from M0 to M7. Chronic leukemia is divided into two main categories: chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia. As the name suggests, acute leukemia has a rapid onset and a shorter survival period, whereas chronic leukemia develops more slowly and has a longer life expectancy.