Signs and Symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of CLL are vague, and can often be attributed to other things, so many people do not know they are sick at the time of diagnosis. The first problems a person will experience are related to altered levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the cells, so they affect a person's ability to move their body without getting tired. White blood cells fight infections. Platelets help blood clot and stop bleeding. With this knowledge, we can have a better understanding of the signs and symptoms of leukemia.

The most common complaints leukemia patients have are:

• Weakness
• Feeling tired
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Bruising
• Enlarged lymph nodes (often can be felt as lumps under the skin)
• Feeling full easily (due to enlarged liver or spleen)

 CLL is staged a little differently than other cancers. The staging is based off of how the growing numbers of lymphocytes are affecting the other blood counts, the number of red blood cells and the number of platelets.

• Rai stage 0: Lymphocytosis and no enlargement of the lymph nodes, spleen, or liver, and with near normal red blood cell and platelet counts.
• Rai stage I: Lymphocytosis plus enlarged lymph nodes. The spleen and liver are not enlarged and the red blood cell and platelet counts are near normal.
• Rai stage II: Lymphocytosis plus an enlarged spleen (and possibly an enlarged liver), with or without enlarged lymph nodes. The red blood cell and platelet counts are near normal.
• Rai stage III: Lymphocytosis plus anemia (too few red blood cells), with or without enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, or liver. Platelet counts are near normal.
• Rai stage IV: Lymphocytosis plus thrombocytopenia (too few blood platelets), with or without anemia, enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, or liver.

References:

Signs and symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2015 from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-chroniclymphocyticcll/detailedguide/leukemia--chronic-lymphocytic-signs-symptoms

How is chronic lymphocytic leukemia staged? 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2015 from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-chroniclymphocyticcll/detailedguide/leukemia-chronic-lymphocytic-staging