Leukemia Diagnosis Stories from Patients

What is leukemia? Leukemia is a broad term for cancers of the blood cells, most often occurring in adults over 55, but also a common cancer in children under 15.

The type of leukemia depends on the type of blood cell that becomes cancer and whether it grows quickly or slowly. (NCI)

Explore below for leukemia stories from real patients, from symptoms, diagnosis, to treatment.

• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Stories
  • Pediatric ALL Stories
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Stories
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Stories
• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Stories
• Blood Cancer Oncologists & Experts

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

• Common symptoms: Fatigue, weakness, drenching night sweats, fever, easy bleeding or bruising, shortness of breath, loss of appetite or weight loss, bone or stomach pain, pain or feeling of fullness below ribs, painless lumps in neck, underarm, stomach, groin, lots of infections

Evan L., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)



Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, easily bruised
Treatments: Chemotherapy, spinal taps, cranial radiation

Casey H., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)



Symptoms: Lump on the throat, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, bruising easily

Treatments: Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplant

Veronica B., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)



Symptoms: Mild shortness of breath, palpitations
Treatments: Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, double cord transplant

Christine M., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)



Symptoms: Enlarged lymph nodes, pain in abdomen, nausea

Treatments: Chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant

Ciara T., Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)



Symptoms: Fatigue, shortness of breath, night sweats, petechiae

Treatments: Chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody

Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Acute Myeloid Leukemia is a cancer in which the bone marrow makes immature white blood cells, known as myeloblasts. AML is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.

Sasha T., Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)



Symptoms: Easily bruised and swollen, painful hip
Treatments: Chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant

Luisa L., Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with FLT3 Mutation



Symptoms: Painful hives on legs, migraines
Treatments: Chemotherapy, total body radiation, stem cell transplant

Hayley A., Acute Monocytic Leukemia (AML-M5)



Symptoms: Severe fatigue, excessive bleeding after oral surgery
Treatments: Chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant

Nicole T., Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)



Symptoms: Severe itchiness, night sweats, fatigue
Treatments: Chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant

Mary Clare B., Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)



Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, upset stomach, bad & persistent headaches
Treatments: Chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplants

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

CLL is the most common form of leukemia in the U.S. It’s a cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell).

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (also called CLL) is a blood and bone marrow disease and usually progresses slowly as opposed to acute leukemias. It is the most common type of chronic leukemia in adults.

More on CLL:

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Page
• What is CLL?
• Treatment options for CLL
  • Ibrutinib
• Dr. Kerry Rogers on CLL
• Dr. Jacqueline Barrientos on CLL
• Dr. Timothy Fenske on CLL

Bill M.



Symptoms: Tightness, lumps in left side of neck, severe pain in left shoulder, enlarged spleen
Treatment: EPOCH, clinical trial (DuoHexabody-CD37)

Stephen B.



Symptoms: Difficulty swallowing, fatigue
Treatment: Rituxan, bendamustine, BTK inhibitor (ibrutinib)

Sean R.



Symptoms: No apparent symptoms; went to ER for unrelated shoulder pain
Treatment: Clinical trial (ibrutinib & venetoclax)

Lacey B.




Symptoms: Extreme fatigue, elevated WBCs
Treatment: Chemotherapy (FCR), venetoclax + rituximab

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Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)

Michele T., Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)



Symptoms: Trouble breathing, rash, bruising



Treatments: Sprycel and Bosulif

Mark K., Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Symptoms: Weight loss, low energy, night sweats, enlarged spleen, elevated WBC count, frequent need to urinate

Treatment: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) including Sprycel

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Role: Interim executive director, hematologist-oncologist
Focus: Multiple myeloma, new drug development
Institution: Mayo Clinic
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Farrukh Awan, MD



Role: Hematologist-oncologist, associate professor
Focus: Leukemias, Lymphomas, BMT
Institution: UT Southwestern
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Nina Shah, MD



Role: Hematologist-oncologist, researcher
Focus: Multiple Myeloma
Institution: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
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