Warning for Women About Different Types of Leukemia, Common Symptoms

Diagnosing women with leukemia can be tricky, as some of the symptoms aren’t all that unique.

There are many different types of leukemias, including acute leukemia (which is more urgent and needs immediate treatment, like chemotherapy) and chronic leukemia (which has more of a “watch-and-wait” approach).

According to Anokhi Patel, M.D. of Medical Oncology and Hematology at Mercy—who is board certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine—some symptoms to watch for include night sweats, weight loss, delayed healing, and easy bruising or bleeding.

People who have had certain cancers may be at a higher risk of developing leukemia.

“Specifically in women, I would say certain malignancies that they’ve already been predisposed to… such as breast cancer. A lot of women undergo treatment for that, and there are some breast cancer-related chemotherapy agents, as well as radiation, that can increase the risk of a secondary cancer, such as leukemia. There are other targeted drugs that we also give patients that can also increase the risk of secondary cancers, as well—rare, but patients should be aware of them,” Dr. Patel said.

More mutations are being found in bone marrow and blood that can increase the risk of leukemia. These are genetic mutations patients wouldn’t know about unless they were tested.

Dr. Patel added that some patients with chronic leukemia are able to live a relatively normal life by just taking oral pills as treatment.

View Mercy medical oncologist Dr. Anokhi Patel’s interview regarding women and leukemia.