Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that causes abnormal development of the white blood cells (WBCs). WBCs are disease and infection-fighting components of the blood. Excessive and abnormal growth of cancerous WBCs crowd out the normal functioning cells in the body. Here is a list of the symptoms of different types of leukemia and the types of leukemia you should know about.

Types of leukemia

1. Acute myelogenous leukemia
Also called AML, this is one of the most common types of leukemia that mostly affects children and adults. In the United States, about 21,000 cases are diagnosed every year. The five-year survival rate for AML is less than 30%.

2. Chronic myelogenous leukemia
Also called CML, this type of leukemia affects adults over 65 years of age and has a slightly better survival rate of about 66%. About 8,900 new cases are diagnosed every year.

3. Acute lymphocytic leukemia
Also called ALL, this is a type of leukemia that affects children and teenagers. More than 50% of cases are diagnosed in individuals under the age of 20. About 5,900 cases are identified every year. The symptoms of different types of leukemia vary depending on the severity of the condition.

4. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
This is a common type of cancer that affects the elderly. If you are more than 55 years of age, you are at risk for this type of cancer. This cancer is rarely seen in younger individuals and children. Every year, about 20,000 new cases of CLL are identified in the country.

Symptoms of leukemia
Here are some of the symptoms of different types of leukemia. These are commonly observed in all four types of leukemia.

1. Night sweats
When the body is fighting an infection, it automatically increases its core temperature to kill the microorganisms, causing damage. When a person has leukemia, their WBCs cannot protect the body, resulting in frequent infections. Increased body temperature leads to night sweats and fever.

2. Weight loss
Weight loss is one of the symptoms of different types of leukemia that is common for most people. When cancer cells spread throughout the body, the body produces a chemical called cytokine. This chemical results in weight loss and muscle loss. Also, continually fighting infections causes the body to use up excess energy, causing loss of stored fat.

3. Red spots on the skin called petechiae
Petechiae are small red spots that can be seen on the skin. With leukemia, your body is not able to produce enough platelets to seal broken blood vessels. This causes small capillary and vessel breakages under the skin and subsequent red/brown spots. These spots look like rashes.

All of the symptoms of different types of leukemia are to be considered carefully. If you feel that you are frequently fighting infections, getting tired, or losing weight abnormally, then do talk to your doctor right away.