Signs & Symptoms

Leukemia

  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Bleeding—from gums, trauma
  • Bruising
  • Fever
  • Weight loss
  • Pallor
  • Petechiae
  • Purpura
  • Persistent infections

Polycythemia Vera

  • Headaches
  • Weakness
  • Vertigo
  • Tinnitus
  • Splenomegaly (75%); hepatomegaly (33%)

Myelofibrosis

  • Asymptomatic—condition found on routine blood test
  • Fatigue or breathlessness due to anemia
  • Splenomegaly—enlarged spleen causing abdominal discomfort
  • Easy bleeding
  • Bone pain
  • Pallor due to anemia
  • Bruising

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

  • Asymptomatic in early course of disease
  • Effects of anemia (fatigue, weakness, palpitations, dizziness, headaches, irritability)
  • Excessive bleeding from minor injury; easy bruising
  • Excessive menstrual periods
  • Infections due to low white blood cell counts

Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

  • Tiredness
  • Weakness
  • Weight loss
  • Symptoms caused by build-up of IgM (macroglobulin antibody) in the blood
  • Splenomegaly
  • Lymphadenopathy
  • Headache, confusion, sleepiness, vision problems caused by hyperviscosity of blood

Essential Thrombocythemia

  • Asymptomatic in one-third of cases
  • Usually without hepatomegaly and splenomegaly