Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia: Symptoms

What are the symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)?

Symptoms of ALL can be different in each person. The most common symptoms are:

• • Easy bleeding and bruising

• • Pain or fullness below your ribs (from a swollen liver or spleen)

• • Pale skin

• • Rashes of tiny flat, red, or purple spots (caused by bleeding)

• • Fever with no clear cause

• • Feeling weak

• • Feeling very tired (fatigue)

• • Frequent infections or infections that don’t go away

• • Trouble breathing or shortness of breath

• • Dizziness

• • Aches in bones and joints, your back, or your belly

• • Swollen lymph nodes (painless lumps under your skin in your neck, armpit, or groin)

• • Loss of appetite

• • Unplanned weight loss

• • Night sweats

• • Headaches

• • Blurred vision

• • Nausea and vomiting

• • Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding

When to see your healthcare provider

Many of these symptoms can be caused by other, more common health problems. In fact, most of them are more likely to be caused by something else. But it’s important to see a healthcare provider if you have these symptoms. Only a healthcare provider can tell if you have ALL, another type of cancer, or some other medical problem that needs to be treated.