Symptoms In Different Skin Tones
Some symptoms of blood cancer can look different on different skin tones.
- Bruises generally start as red patches which change colour and get darker over time. They often feel tender. On black and brown skin, bruises may be difficult to see initially, but as they develop, they show up as darker than the skin around them.
- Rashes often appear as clusters of tiny spots or larger blotches . On black and brown skin, they may look purple or darker than the surrounding skin. On lighter skin, they typically look red or purple. If you press on them, petechiae and purpura dont fade.
- Paleness might mean someone looks unusually pale because they have too few red blood cells. Pallor is often more immediately noticeable in light skin. People with black or brown skin may look greyish and their palms may look paler than usual. They might also notice pallor in their lips, gums, tongue or nail beds. In all skin tones, pallor can be seen by pulling down the lower eyelid. The inside is normally dark pink or red, but if its pale pink or white, its a sign of pallor.
You can read more about the causes of these symptoms and others below.
We’d like to thank theACLT for their help reviewing this information. ACLT raises awareness about stem cell, blood and organ donation in all UK communities, with a focus on the African and Caribbean communities.
Bowel Cancer: Dr Philippa Kaye Lists The Symptoms
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Charlotte Madden from Lancashire got the diagnosis she had long feared in 2021. In February of that year, she was told she had bowel cancer at the age of 38. The diagnosis came a mere month after she first spotted a red flag.
Blood Cancer Treatment And Therapy Options
Treatment for blood and bone marrow cancers depends on the type of cancer, your age, how fast the cancer is progressing, where the cancer has spread and other factors. Some common blood cancer treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma include:
Stem cell transplantation: A stem cell transplant infuses healthy blood-forming stem cells into the body. Stem cells may be collected from the bone marrow, circulating blood and umbilical cord blood.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to interfere with and stop the growth of cancer cells in the body. Chemotherapy for blood cancer sometimes involves giving several drugs together in a set regimen. This treatment may also be given before a stem cell transplant.
Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy may be used to destroy cancer cells or to relieve pain or discomfort. It may also be given before a stem cell transplant.
Learn more about leukemia treatments, Hodgkin lymphoma treatments, non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatments and multiple myeloma treatments
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What Are The Treatment Options For Pancreatic Cancer
Treatment for pancreatic cancer is determined by the stage of the disease. The treatment options are
- Surgery: Surgery to remove pancreatic cancer can be a part of a pancreaticoduodenectomy or Whipple procedure, distal pancreatectomy, or total pancreatectomy depending on the location of cancer within the pancreas. The goal of the surgery is to remove all cancer in the pancreas and surrounding tissues.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment. With this therapy, the drug that is designed to kill cancer cells is dispersed throughout the entire body. Typically, it is administered intravenously. The chemotherapy may be administered before surgery , after surgery , or in the case of advanced disease.
- Radiation therapy:Radiation uses high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be used to relieve symptoms of advanced pancreatic cancer. Sometimes chemotherapy will be given concurrently with radiation because the addition of systemic chemotherapy renders cancer cells more susceptible to the killing effects of radiation.
Localized pancreatic cancer is treated with surgery and chemotherapy. The chemotherapy can be given before or after surgery. Advanced pancreatic cancer may not be removable by surgery, so it is treated with chemotherapy and radiation.
Why Does Leukemia Cause Bruising

What is the relationship between leukemia and bruising? Because leukemia affects the bodys blood-clotting ability, easy bruising is a common symptom. Even a seemingly minor incident, such as bumping a shin against a table, can cause a bruise to form. Additionally, many people experience random bruising from leukemia that cannot be traced to a specific incident. While leukemia bruises can form anywhere on the body, they are most commonly found on the arms and legs.
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Common Blood Cancer Symptoms Explained
Blood cancer often means you dont have the right balance of blood cells in your body. You might have too many of a particular type of blood cell, not enough of a particular type of blood cell, or blood cells that arent working properly. This list explains what causes the most common symptoms of blood cancer.
We have more information on how blood cancer starts.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor About A Blood Cancer Diagnosis
If you receive a cancer diagnosis, you will likely have many questions.
Your doctor and other members of your care team will be your best source to learn about your specific situation.
Here are some questions from the American Cancer Society you might want to ask your doctor:
- Can you do biomarker or molecular testing for my type of blood cancer?
- What are my treatment choices?
- What blood cancer treatment do you suggest? Why?
- How soon do I need to start treatment? Is watchful waiting” an option?
- How will treatment affect my work, family, and daily activities?
- How likely is my blood cancer to return after treatment?
- Should I think about joining a clinical trial?
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How Can I Reduce My Risk For Developing Blood Cancer
Blood cancer happens when blood cell DNA changes or mutates. Researchers dont know why this happens, which makes it hard to single out specific steps someone could take to reduce their risk. But researchers have identified some factors that appear to play to a role in the genetic change:
- Radiation exposure.
Pain In Your Bone Joints Or Abdomen
Cause: Damage to your bones and abnormal blood cells building up in your spleen .
What you might expect:
- Myeloma can cause pain in any major bones such as your back, ribs or hips.
- You may feel full after only eating small amounts, have discomfort under your ribs on the left side, have bloating or swelling, or occasionally pain.
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Incidence: How Common Is Colon Cancer In Women
Women can get colorectal cancer, but the incidence is very low. Over 90% of the new colon cancer cases are above the age of 50.
The incidence of colon cancer in young women is very low. However, the risk increases gradually in older women. Here are some statistics on colon cancer:
- Your overall lifetime risk of colon cancer is about 4% for women and 4.3 for men.
- In 2021, the American cancer society estimated about 104K cases of colon cancer and 45K cases of rectal cancer.
- The rate of new cases has been dropping since the mid-eighties in OLDER people due to screening programs and improvement in lifestyle habits.
- Unfortunately, The rate is increasing among younger people .
- The overall risk of colon or rectal cancer is very low, below the age of forty.
- The number of cases between 15-35 years ranges from 1.3 to 3.6 per 100,000. This number jumps to about 88.5 cases per 100,000 above the age of 60.
The image below is from Cancer.gov, illustrating the lower risk of colon cancer in young women and men.
What Are The Symptoms Of Blood Cancer
Blood cancers are also known as hematologic cancers. It occurs in the bone marrow, the production house of blood. Blood cancer may occur due to the growth of abnormal blood cells in our body. They tend to interrupt bodily function and normal blood cells which are responsible for producing new blood cells and fighting off any infection. Therefore, blood cancers affect the bone marrow and blood cells. The abnormal cells are cancerous and lead to excessive reproduction of white blood cells.
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When You Visit Your Doctor
Here are some helpful tips that you might like to consider when visiting your doctor:
- Prepare for your appointment by writing questions and concerns down beforehand
- Be open and honest about all the signs, symptoms and health concerns you have
- Dont be afraid to ask questions you can ask about anything you dont understand
- Bring a family member or friend, if you would like them to be there
- Take notes of the discussion, actions and decisions
- Bring any medications you are taking
Leukemia Diagnosis And Treatment And Moffitt Cancer Center

TheMalignant Hematology Program at Moffitt is home to a team of renowned oncologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating all types of leukemia and other blood and bone marrow cancers. As the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida, Moffitt is proud to have a robust clinical trials program through which our patients can benefit from groundbreaking new treatment options that are not yet available in other settings.
Medically reviewed byLeidy Isenalumhe, MD, Malignant Hematology.
If you would like to discuss your leukemia symptoms with aspecialist in the Malignant Hematology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center, call or use our convenientnew patient registration form online to request an appointment. You do not need a referral from your primary doctor. After you reach out to us, we will connect you with a cancer expert within just one day.
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Symptoms Of Blood Cancer In Woman
Our blood cells, a vital component of life, are put in danger by blood cancer. These cells provide us with energy, aid in the fight against infection, and prevent excessive bleeding. Fortunately, there are a variety of efficient and secure treatments for blood cancer. You need to know the early symptoms of blood cancer in woman and rush to the doctor at the earliest.
Normal blood cells control bleeding, transport oxygen throughout the body, and fight infection. Blood cancer happens when anything prevents your body from producing blood cells. When you suffer from blood cancer, irregular blood cells outnumber healthy blood cells, which lead to a cascade of illnesses. As medical professionals discover novel treatments for blood cancer, more people are surviving longer with the disease.
What are the blood cancer survival rates?
Estimates of survival rates are made using averages. In order to explain whether your blood cancer may affect your well-being five years after diagnosis, your healthcare professional may discuss five-year survival rates. Several of the forms of blood cancer have a distinct survival rate, although many blood cancer patients can anticipate living as much as most other people.
What three kinds of blood cancer are there?
There are the following subtypes of blood cancer. These cancer subtypes include:
What are the symptoms of blood cancer in a woman?
- Heavy menstrual bleeding and signs of cancer
- Menopause symptoms and cancer
- Premature menopause
A Variety Of Other Physical Mental And Emotional Symptoms
Survey respondents also shared that they have dealt with a wide range of symptoms and treatment side effects impacting their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. These responses show that blood cancer has a far-reaching effect on the people living with it. Symptoms shared include:
- Skin irritation and/or changes
- Breathing problems such as shortness of breath
- Loss of sex drive
Only 7 percent of participants reported having no symptoms at all in the past month.
These results indicate that although life with blood cancer may be varied, there are some aspects of the condition that might be shared by a large number of individuals. Most are still currently experiencing symptoms as a result of their diagnosis and treatment.
The 3rd Blood Cancer In America survey was conducted online from September 2019 through February 2020. 1,919 people completed the survey.
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Causes Of Blood Cancer
There is no certain reason for the cause of blood cancer. Some factors are related to age factor, hereditary, weakened immune system, infections, aids, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, exposure to chemotherapy, organ transplantation, usage of hair dies, some kind of petrochemicals and maternal-fetal transmission in rare cases.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
If you go to get checked out, here are some questions you might want to ask your doctor:
- Im worried about blood cancer is that something you can rule out?
- Do I need a blood test?
- Do I need a lymph node biopsy?
- Do I need any scans?
- Do you need to take a urine sample?
- As my symptoms might be blood cancer, can I be referred for tests on the two-week suspected cancer pathway?
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Other Symptoms To Watch For
- Pain. See your doctor anytime you have pain that doesnât go away.
- Mouth changes. Watch out for white or red patches that donât get better. Lasting sores could be signs of oral cancer.
- Swollen face or upper body parts. Tumors can press on the big vein that carries blood from your head and arms to your heart. Your face, neck, arms, or chest may get puffy.
Show Sources
American Cancer Society: âCancer Facts for Women,â âBreast Cancer Signs and Symptoms,â âSigns and Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer,â âAmerican Cancer Society Guideline for Colorectal Cancer Screening,â âSigns and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer,â âLoss of Appetite,â Signs and Symptoms of Cancer,â âSigns and Symptoms of Lung Cancer,â âNail Changes,â âHow to Do a Skin Self-Exam,â âSigns and Symptoms of Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer.â
MD Anderson Cancer Center: â10 cancer symptoms women shouldnât ignore.â
National Breast Cancer Foundation: âInflammatory Breast Cancer .â
Breastcancer.org: âBreast Self-Exam.â
Northwestern Medicine: âSymptoms of Gynecologic Cancers.â
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: âBack Pain and Cancer: How Are They Related?â âIs a Headache a Sign of a Brain Tumor?â âNight Sweats: Are They a Symptom of Cancer?â
Mayo Clinic News Network: âWhat to know about pancreatic cancer.â
Rush University Medical Center: â5 Early Signs of Ovarian Cancer.â
Lung India: âDigital Clubbing.â
Signs And Symptoms Of Leukaemia
Symptoms can depend on how quickly a leukaemia develops. You should see your GP if you notice any of these leukaemia symptoms.
On this page
Leukaemia is a cancer of the blood cells. If you have leukaemia, your body makes some abnormal blood cells. These leukaemia cells behave differently from healthy blood cells.
Symptoms can depend on how quickly a leukaemia develops.
Slower growing leukaemias such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and chronic myeloid leukaemia may cause no symptoms in the early stages. They may be discovered by chance after a routine blood test. If you do have symptoms, these may be mild and develop gradually. The symptoms can be confused with the symptoms of more common illnesses, such as flu.
Faster growing leukaemias such as acute myeloid leukaemia or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia are more likely to cause symptoms that appear over a few weeks. People often feel ill quite quickly. Most symptoms of acute leukaemia are caused by leukaemia cells filling the bone marrow. This means healthy blood cells do not move into the blood as normal.
If you have any of the following symptoms, you should always tell your doctor and have them checked. But remember, these symptoms can also be caused by many other illnesses.
We understand that showing any symptoms of what could be cancer is worrying. The most important thing is to speak to your GP as soon as possible. We’re also here if you need someone to talk to. You can:
- Chat to our specialists online.
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Treatment For Blood Cancer
Treatment of cancer depends on the type of cancer, age, severity and many other factors. Some of the common treatment is stated below:
- Radiation Therapy: Radiation is given to destroy cancer cells. They make use of high-energy X- rays. It also relieves pain. It is conducted before stem cell and bone marrow plantation.
- Stem Cell Transplantation: Stem cells are collected from the bone marrow, umbilical cord, and peripheral blood. They inculcate healthy blood-forming stem cells.
- Chemotherapy: It is a treatment that involves drugs that are mainly given to destroy the cancer cells.
This was a brief glimpse of blood cancer. Learn more in detail about its types, symptoms, causes, treatments and other related topics at .
What Are Survival Rates For Blood Cancer

Survival rates are estimates based on averages. Your healthcare provider may share five-year survival rates as a way of explaining how your blood cancer may affect your health five years after diagnosis. Survival rates are different for each of the three blood cancer types, but many people who have blood cancer can expect to survive as long as most other people.
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Blood Cancer Survival Rates
A blood cancer prognosis varies based on the type and other factors, including your overall health, age and response to treatment.
According to the National Cancer Institutes Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, the five-year relative survival rate is 65 percent for leukemiaa number that has improved dramatically in the past 50 years. Other rates include:
Other Symptoms Of Metastatic Disease
Lung cancer can spread to bones and the adrenal gland, but also to the brain, liver, and lymph nodes. In some cases, symptoms of metastases are the only signs present at the time of diagnosis.
Signs and symptoms of brain metastases may include headaches, new-onset seizures, speech or visual problems, numbness and weakness, or loss of coordination.
Symptoms of liver metastases may include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain or tenderness, a yellowish discoloration of the skin , and intense itching.
Hoarseness may occur if a lung tumor presses on nerves near the vocal cords. A hoarse voice like this does not usually clear with coughing, and it gradually worsens.
General symptoms of advanced cancer may also occur, and since lung cancer is often diagnosed in the later stages in women, this is not uncommon. Symptoms may include:
- A general sense of being unwell
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