Most blood cancers start in the bone marrow, a spongy and soft material that forms the center of the bone. These make stem cells, which mature over time to become platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. Blood cancer starts in the bone marrow, affecting the blood cells’ production and impairing their function. As a result, several symptoms start to develop. So, here are some common warning signs of different types.

Leukemia
Leukemia is a type of cancer that originates in the bone marrow. It causes an abnormal increase in white blood cells, which live longer than they should. However, these excess cells do not function properly to fight off infections, leading to a weakened immune system and feelings of illness.
The severity of symptoms depends on the rate at which the disease progresses. Sometimes, leukemia progresses quite quickly.

• In such cases, the first warning signs often include a sudden feeling of sickness, similar to coming down with the flu.
• Other times, leukemia may take years to cause any symptoms to occur.
• In either case, the first signs of the cancer are often apparent when a routine blood test shows abnormal results.

Over time, the cancerous cells start to disrupt the growth and functioning of the healthy blood cells. This is when several of these warning signs and symptoms appear.

• Anemia: Anemia is a condition that arises when the excessive number of white blood cells caused by leukemia impedes the normal functioning of the red blood cells, causing fatigue and weakness. One of the most evident signs of anemia is the appearance of pale skin under the eyelids, lips, and fingernails, which may differ from one’s natural skin tone. Additionally, anemia can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and dizziness, which can significantly affect one’s daily activities. It is essential to seek medical attention if one experiences any of these symptoms to receive prompt diagnosis and treatment.
• Poor clotting: Leukemia also affects the production of platelets in the blood. Under normal circumstances, platelets help the blood clot quickly in case of injury. However, with the onset of leukemia, the platelet count goes down, leading to poor clotting, which implies that even a small cut in such cases can lead to heavy bleeding. Poor clotting may cause unusual bruising, bleeding gums, and dark stool. Sometimes, tiny red dots appear on the skin due to broken blood vessels.
• Other symptoms: With the additional white blood cells unable to fight off the infection, one may get sick more frequently and take longer to recover from any illness. In addition, one may experience night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, and bone pain.

Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a type of cancer that causes an increased production of lymphocytes in the body. Lymphocytes are infection-fighting white blood cells carried by the lymph system. Usually, these help fight off infection and eliminate waste from the body. However, with the onset of lymphoma, the infection-fighting capability of the lymphocytes starts to decline.
As this happens, the lymph nodes start to swell, which is one of the early warning signs. The swollen nodes become noticeable as lumps form in the neck, groin, or underarms.
Sometimes, lymph nodes located further within the body also start to swell. This causes extra pressure on the organs close to swollen lymph nodes. As a result, one may experience coughing, shortness of breath, and pain in the chest, abdomen, or bones. In some cases, the spleen starts to expand, causing bloating or feelings of fullness, even when one has not eaten a full meal. Some of the other warning signs of lymphoma include the following.

• Fever
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Itchy skin

Multiple Myeloma
Along with white blood cells, plasma cells help fight off diseases. With multiple myeloma, the bone marrow starts to produce plasma cells at a rate higher than normal. These plasma cells produce chemicals that enter the bloodstream and damage healthy tissues and organs. As a result, the body cannot make sufficient numbers of healthy blood cells.
Some forms of multiple myeloma progress more quickly than others. But in all cases, the warning signs do not appear until later. Here are some common signs of this type of blood cancer to watch out for.

• Bone pain is one of the most common signs of multiple myeloma. It generally occurs in the bones of the ribs or back. When plasma cells release harmful chemicals in the bloodstream, bones’ normal growth and healing are disrupted. As a result, the bones become weaker and thinner, which makes them more prone to damage.
• Tingling sensation: Irreversible damage to the bones in the spine puts additional pressure on the nerves, causing a tingling sensation and feelings of weakness and pain in the legs and arms.
• Hypercalcemia: Sometimes, multiple myeloma can cause calcium levels in the blood to rise at an increasing rate. Due to this, one may experience nausea, stomach pain, excessive thirst and urination, constipation, loss of appetite, weakness, and confusion. In severe cases, the kidneys malfunction when the calcium levels are highly elevated. In addition, the ankles may become swollen, and the skin may feel itchy.