Hairy Cell Leukaemia

Symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia

Source: NHS

The symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia develop slowly and aresimilar tothose ofother types of leukaemia. They include:

  • unintentional weightloss
  • pale skin
  • weakness, tiredness and breathlessness
  • frequentinfections
  • bleeding or bruising easily
  • pain or swelling in your abdomen (tummy) (see below)

The abnormal white blood cells can accumulate in your spleen, causing it to increase in size. The spleen is an organin the upper left side of your abdomen, behind your stomach and ribs.

If your spleen is enlarged , it's likely you'll have a painful lump on the left side of your abdomen. If this is the case, you should visit your GP so the lump can be examined.

An enlarged spleen may remove normal blood cells from your bloodstream. This can lead to a further reduction in the number of normal red and white blood cells and platelets in your blood.

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