Childhood Leukemia Symptoms

Childhood leukemia symptoms commonly include such things as fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, and frequent infections. When acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) develops in childhood, symptoms often include those seen with anemia (such as looking pale, feeling weak, and bleeding or bruising easly). In cases of AML (acute myelogenous leukemia), childhood leukemia symptoms may include joint or bone pain and blue green lumps (called chloromas) around the eyes.

 

Childhood Leukemia Symptoms: An Introduction

The most common types of leukemia that are found in children are acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Although these types of leukemia share common symptoms, they also have slightly different symptoms.
 

Common Childhood Leukemia Symptoms

Common childhood leukemia symptoms include:
 
  • Fever
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • Frequent infections
  • Painless blue or purple lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin
  • Pain or feeling of fullness below the ribs
  • Paleness or pallor
  • Headaches
  • Easy bleeding or bruising
  • Loss of appetite
  • Tiny red spots (called petechiae) under the skin
  • Bone or joint pain
  • Painless lumps that are sometimes around the eyes.
 

Childhood Leukemia Symptoms: ALL

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) frequently have low amounts of healthy red blood cells and platelets. As a result, there are not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen through the body (anemia). People with anemia may:
 
  • Look pale
  • Feel weak and tired
  • Bleed and bruise easily.
 
Other common symptoms of ALL include:
 
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Frequent infections
  • Painless lumps in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin
  • Pain or feeling of fullness below the ribs
  • Paleness or pallor
  • Easy bleeding or bruising
  • Loss of appetite
  • Tiny red spots (called petechiae) under the skin
  • Bone or joint pain.
 
In childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the abnormal cells may collect in the brain or spinal cord, also called the central nervous system (CNS). This may result in headaches with or without vomiting. Leukemia cells also can collect in the testicles and cause swelling. However, most children with leukemia do not have these symptoms.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD