Top Symptoms of Blood Cancer

3 min read

Life with blood cancer can vary from person to person. Symptoms, treatment, side effects, progression, remission, and more are unique to each situation. For some, symptoms may be disabling and life altering, while for others, symptoms may be more manageable.

We conducted our 3rd Blood Cancer In America survey to learn more about blood cancer and the way symptoms and side effects impact those living with it. More than 1,900 men and women with blood cancer completed the survey, providing a unique look at the condition.

Most people suffer from fatigue

Fatigue is by far the most common symptom experienced by people with blood cancer. More than 80 percent of survey respondents shared that have felt fatigued as a result of their diagnosis. Nearly 70 percent of respondents also said they experienced fatigue as recently as the past month.

Bowel issues, pain, and neuropathy are other common symptoms

More than half of all survey respondents said they have experienced bowel issues, pain, and neuropathy (tingling in hands and/or feet) because of their blood cancer.

54 percent experienced bowel problems such as constipation or diarrhea
52 percent experienced aches, pain, or fractures in joints or bones
51 percent experienced neuropathy

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:

Night sweats (48 percent)
Hair loss (47 percent)
Trouble thinking or brain fog (47 percent)
Skin irritation or changes (44 percent)
Leg cramps (44 percent)
Depression or other mood changes (42 percent)
Nausea or vomiting (40 percent)
Anemia (low red blood cell count) (40 percent)
Breathing problems, including shortness of breath (39 percent)
Excessive bruising (36 percent)
Low white blood cell count, including neutropenia (36 percent)
Loss of appetite (36 percent)
Unexpected weight changes (34 percent)
Loss of sex drive (32 percent)
Tiny red spots on the skin (petechiae) (31 percent)
Chills (30 percent)

Less common symptoms

Beyond the long list of more regularly reported symptoms, some survey respondents noted less common symptoms of their blood cancer. These include:

Mouth and/or throat sores (29 percent)
Infections (26 percent)
High blood pressure (24 percent)
Increased thirst (24 percent)
Swelling or fluid retention (22 percent)
Enlarged lymph nodes (21 percent)
Fever (20 percent)
Osteoporosis (weakened bones) (20 percent)

Blood cancer symptoms are persistent

More than 90 percent of all survey respondents shared that they had experienced symptoms or side effects of their blood cancer within the past month. This includes the 70 percent who reported fatigue, but also takes into account other symptoms.

Different physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that affected survey respondents within the past month include:

Aches, pain, or fractures in joints or bones (40 percent)
Bowel problems such as constipation or diarrhea (39 percent)
Neuropathy (36 percent)
Cognitive impairment/trouble thinking (brain fog) (31 percent)
Pain (29 percent)
Depression/mood changes (28)
Leg cramps (28 percent)
Night sweats (27 percent)
Skin irritation and/or changes (dry, itchy skin) (26 percent)
Breathing problems such as shortness of breath (25 percent)
Loss of sex drive (libido) (21 percent)

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.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Blood-Cancer.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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Paula Rosado Moderator
This is an incredible read! Thank you so much for compiling this information. It brings experience and community together and I don't feel so alone or isolated in my symptoms. Now I also have a resource to reach out to should my symptoms change. This list isn't for the faint of heart. It is real and accurate and if knowledge is power, this is a resource for new and experienced patients alike. Well done!
Susan Gonsalves Moderator & Contributor
Very comprehensive. Before becoming part of <a href='https://blood-dancer.com' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>blood-dancer.com</a>, I truly felt as if I was the only one having these problems and that I was a unique case. How wrong I was! The pain, the fatigue, the nausea, etc. is not easy to handle all the time but thank you for letting me see I'm not alone in this fight. Susan
Ann Harper Moderator & Contributor
Crystal experienced many of the side effects you listed. It's too bad something more effective and less symptomatic couldn't be found.
Dennis Golden Moderator
Prior to leaving Connecticut to visit my daughter in Virginia I was experiencing some nagging intermittent pain in my right side for about 2 weeks. Nothing serious I thought and the discomfort was subtle. Figured when I got back to CT an appointment could be set up with my GP if my discomfort continued. There were no other symptoms. All of that ended one evening 400 miles away from home when I needed to go to a local emergency room due to severe pain in my side and chest. A misdiagnosis by the local emergency room team suggested the pain might be due to an emerging pancreatic cancer. Within days of returning home I met with an oncologist who said he did not believe the ER diagnosis. At the same time was also experiencing dramatic weight loss and loss of appetite. As quickly as the pain initially came on it just stopped. A biopsy and scans two weeks later revealed I was facing Stage ll non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Within 3 weeks I had lost 35 pounds. A port was installed in my chest and the following day i was on a 6 month protocol of Chemo therapy. My NHL is in check and thank goodness it remains so at this time. My symptoms prior to treatment - Leg Cramps, weight loss, abdominal and chest pain, enlarged lymph nodes and a loss of appetite. An important life lesson I would pass on ...If you find yourself with lingering pain do not put off visiting your MD. While I doubt a GP would have picked up the very early warning signs of NHL in the long run it is always better to get checked early and not ignore lingering pain symptoms. Dennis(Blood-Cancer.com TEAM)