Is a body temperature of 37.3 and feeling tired indicative of leukemia?

Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
Updated on June 03, 2025
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More than half of patients with acute leukemia present with fever as an early symptom, which can be low-grade or as high as 39~40°C or even higher. At the same time, some patients may experience fatigue due to anemia, but the presence of low-grade fever and fatigue does not necessarily indicate leukemia. If leukemia is suspected, further tests such as a complete blood count and peripheral blood smear examination are necessary. If the patient has abnormal white blood cells, combined with anemia and a reduction in platelets, and a large number of blast or early immature granulocytes are seen on the peripheral blood smear, leukemia should be highly suspected, and a further bone marrow biopsy examination is needed for a clear diagnosis. If the complete blood count and peripheral blood smear show no significant abnormalities, leukemia can generally be ruled out.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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How to test for leukemia?

Patients with leukemia should first undergo a routine blood test. Some leukemia patients' routine blood tests may indicate leukemia, such as when white blood cell counts are abnormally high, exceeding 50*10^9/L, and can even reach more than 100*10^9/L, which highly suggests leukemia. At this point, bone marrow biopsy, bone marrow immunotyping, and chromosome tests are needed to further clarify the type of leukemia. In addition, risk stratification in leukemia patients is also necessary through genetic mutations and chromosome analysis.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Is acute leukemia contagious?

Acute leukemia is not a contagious disease, so it is not transmissible. Acute leukemia is a malignant tumor disease of the hematopoietic system. The causes of this disease are still not very clear, however, some known inducers include exposure to radiation, contact with chemotherapy drugs, and contact with benzene-containing chemicals. The genetic factors of acute leukemia are also not significant, so children usually do not have a genetic predisposition if their parents suffer from acute leukemia.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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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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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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What tests are done for leukemia?

Patients with leukemia need to be further classified to determine if it is acute leukemia or chronic leukemia, whether it is acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the case of acute leukemia, and whether it is chronic myeloid leukemia or chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the case of chronic leukemia. Therefore, in addition to routine blood tests, leukemia patients also need to undergo bone marrow cytology, immunophenotyping, testing for 43 types of leukemia fusion genes, chromosome tests, etc., to further clarify the subtype of leukemia. After the subtype is clarified, a treatment plan is selected based on the specific type.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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Chronic Granulocytic Leukemia Classification

Chronic granulocytic leukemia is a myeloproliferative tumor originating from pluripotent stem cells, characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome or changes in the BCR/ABL fusion gene. Chronic granulocytic leukemia progresses through four stages: asymptomatic, chronic, accelerated, and blast crisis phases. Most patients are diagnosed after the onset of symptoms. Only a very few patients are diagnosed through routine physical examinations or other reasons when blood abnormalities are discovered. The earliest symptoms experienced during the chronic phase of the illness typically include fatigue, dizziness, and abdominal discomfort. The accelerated phase is a transitional stage before the blast crisis, marking a turning point where the disease worsens. It is often difficult to distinctly separate the accelerated phase from the blast crisis, and about 20%-25% of patients may enter the blast crisis phase directly without passing through the accelerated phase.