--- title: "Leukaemia: Symptoms, Causes & NHS Treatment | HealthAnswers" description: "Leukaemia — blood cancer types, symptoms like fatigue and bruising, diagnosis, and NHS treatments including chemotherapy and stem cell transplant." url: https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/leukaemia/ robots: noindex --- # Leukaemia: Symptoms, Causes & NHS Treatment | HealthAnswers Health A–Z Leukaemia — blood cancer types, symptoms like fatigue and bruising, diagnosis, and NHS treatments including chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. Written by HealthAnswers editorial team Medically reviewed by [HealthAnswers UK doctor review panel](https://healthanswers.co.uk/our-doctors/) Reviewed 3 July 2026 ## Quick answer What is leukaemia? Leukaemia is cancer of white blood cells in bone marrow — acute forms develop quickly and need urgent treatment; chronic forms progress more slowly. Symptoms include persistent tiredness, frequent infections, bruising or bleeding, bone pain, night sweats, and weight loss. Blood tests and bone marrow biopsy confirm diagnosis. Treatment depends on type — acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) commonest in children; acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in adults. See a GP urgently for unexplained bruising, bleeding, or severe fatigue with infections. ## Who is this page for? This page is for people in the UK who want a plain-English overview of Leukaemia, including when to seek help and what NHS care usually involves. It explains general information, not what is wrong with you personally. ## Who should skip this page? Skip this page if you need a diagnosis, a prescription, or emergency care. It cannot replace a GP, pharmacist, NHS 111 or 999. If you are in immediate danger, call 999; for urgent advice that is not life-threatening, call 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or use your GP out-of-hours service in Northern Ireland. On this page 7 sections ## Key facts about leukaemia - About 10,000 new leukaemia cases in the UK each year — affects children and adults. - Acute leukaemia — rapid onset, immature blast cells flood blood — medical emergency once diagnosed. - Chronic leukaemia — often found incidentally on routine blood test — may be watch-and-wait initially. - Childhood ALL has high cure rates — over 90% with modern protocols. - Stem cell (bone marrow) transplant can cure selected high-risk or relapsed cases. ## Leukaemia — cancer of blood-forming cells **Leukaemia** is **malignancy of haematopoietic stem cells** in **bone marrow** — **abnormal white cells** crowd out **normal blood production**. **~10,000 UK cases/year** — **only cancer more common in children than adults proportionally** — **ALL peak age 2–5**. ## Types overview | Type | Cell line | Pace | Typical age | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ALL | Lymphoid | Acute | Children, also adults | | AML | Myeloid | Acute | Adults, some teens | | CLL | Lymphoid | Chronic | Older adults | | CML | Myeloid | Chronic | Middle age | ## How leukaemia affects the body **Marrow failure:** - Anaemia → fatigue, breathlessness - Thrombocytopenia → bruising, bleeding - Neutropenia → infection risk **Leukaemic infiltration:** - Bone pain - Hepatosplenomegaly - Lymphadenopathy ## Red flags for GP **NICE 2-week wait haematology:** - Persistent unexplained blood count abnormality - Blood film suggesting leukaemia - Splenomegaly with cytopenia **Children — parent concern:** - Pallor + bruising + limp - Recurrent infections ## Diagnosis pathway - FBC + film - Urgent haematology - Bone marrow — aspirate + trephine - Immunophenotyping, genetics - Staging — lumbar puncture in ALL — CNS involvement ## Treatment by type ### ALL - Induction → consolidation → maintenance — 2–3 years children - CNS prophylaxis - CAR-T — relapsed/refractory ### AML - Intensive chemo — age/fitness dependent - Transplant — high-risk genetics ### CLL - Watch and wait if asymptomatic - Chemoimmunotherapy or targeted agents when symptomatic — B symptoms, marrow failure, bulky nodes ### CML - Tyrosine kinase inhibitors — imatinib first line - Excellent long-term control — near-normal lifespan many patients ## Living through treatment **Neutropenic sepsis** — **temperature 37.5°C once during chemo** — **999 or emergency unit** — **don’t wait** **Fertility** — ** sperm/egg storage before treatment** **Late effects** — **children** — **growth, heart, second cancers** — **long-term follow-up** Unexplained **bruising + fatigue** — **GP blood test this week** — **not rare in busy lives — rare disease needs early pick-up**. ## ! When to see a GP about leukaemia See a GP within days for persistent unexplained bruising, bleeding gums, petechiae (pinpoint rash), frequent infections, drenching night sweats, or bone pain — especially with pallor and breathlessness. Same-day if severe bleeding, high fever with neutropenia (if known), or collapse. Blood test FBC shows abnormal white cells — urgent haematology referral if suspected. ## Common questions about leukaemia What are the symptoms of leukaemia? Fatigue and breathlessness (anaemia), frequent or severe infections (low normal white cells or dysfunctional leukaemic cells), easy bruising and bleeding (low platelets), bone or joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, enlarged spleen causing fullness after eating, night sweats, weight loss, fever. Acute leukaemia symptoms worsen over weeks; chronic may be silent early. What is the difference between acute and chronic leukaemia? Acute — immature blast cells multiply rapidly — ALL and AML — need immediate chemotherapy. Chronic — mature but abnormal cells accumulate slowly — CLL and CML — some patients monitored without treatment for years until symptoms or counts warrant therapy. How is leukaemia diagnosed? Full blood count shows high white cells (or sometimes low), low haemoglobin, low platelets. Blood film shows blasts. Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy confirms type and genetics — guides treatment. Flow cytometry, cytogenetics, molecular tests (BCR-ABL in CML, Philadelphia chromosome). How is leukaemia treated? Chemotherapy mainstay — intensive multi-drug regimens for acute leukaemia. Targeted drugs — imatinib for CML, venetoclax for CLL. Immunotherapy — CAR-T cells for some relapsed ALL. Stem cell transplant for high-risk disease. Radiotherapy to spleen or brain if needed. Supportive care — transfusions, antibiotics, G-CSF. Can leukaemia be cured? Many childhood ALL patients cured. Adult acute leukaemia — cure possible in selected patients. CLL often managed as chronic disease — not always curable but long survival. CML controlled long-term with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in most cases. ## Sources - [NHS — Leukaemia](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/leukaemia/) - [Blood Cancer UK](https://bloodcancer.org.uk/) - [NICE — Haematological cancers](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng47)