What Are the Symptoms of Blood Cancer?

Blood cancer is a general term for cancers of blood, bone marrow and the lymphatic system, also called hematological malignancies or blood/bone marrow cancers.

There are 137 blood cancer types, but the three main ones are leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. All other cancers are called solid (organ) cancers.

Types include leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes, with rarer types such as myeloproliferative neoplasms. Symptoms vary: some are shared, while others are distinctive. Swollen lymph nodes are more common in lymphoma, for example, and bone pain, particularly in the back, is a common myeloma symptom.

Vague, nonspecific symptoms may make diagnosis difficult.

Shared blood cancer symptoms may include

• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Weakness or shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Easy bruising or bleeding, such as unexplained bruises
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Abdominal swelling or discomfort
• Frequent infections
• Fever / night sweats
• Bone / joint pain
• Itching
• Bone pain without injury

Most symptoms result from cancer cells invading bone marrow, where blood cells are made, preventing normal production. Although numerous cells may be present in blood, they are dysfunctional. Reduced oxygen-carrying erythrocytes (white blood cells) cause anemia and fatigue; reduced immune leukocytes (white blood cells) cause infections; reduced clotting platelets cause bleeding.

If you or someone close experiences any or all these symptoms, we recommend seeing a doctor. Suspicious findings may require further tests.

What Is Lymphoma, or Lymph Cancer? What Are Its Symptoms and Treatment?

How is blood cancer diagnosed?

Usually through blood tests, beginning with a complete blood count and peripheral smear. If these indicate blood cancer, further tests such as bone marrow sampling identify the type.

What Is Multiple Myeloma? Symptoms and Treatment

How are blood cancers treated?

Treatment depends on cancer type, status and patient characteristics. Chemotherapy is most common, sometimes with stem cell/bone marrow transplantation. In recent years, next-generation immunotherapies, molecularly targeted drugs and CAR-T cell therapy have also achieved remarkable success.

What is stem cell transplantation? Which cancers is it used to treat?

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