8. Leukemia
Leukemia is a broad term for cancers that affect the blood cells. There are many forms of leukemia. Some types of leukemia are more common in kids. Other types occur mostly in adults.
This disease typically involves white blood cells. Your white blood cells are your body’s infection fighters; they usually grow and multiply in an orderly way when your body needs them. However, in patients with leukemia, the bone marrow produces a huge amount of abnormal white blood cells, which don’t work properly.
Signs include losing weight without trying; chills, fever, or night sweats; swollen lymph nodes; feeling exhausted or weak; an enlarged spleen (which may feel like a bulge under your ribs on your left side); an enlarged liver (which may feel like a bulge under your ribs on your right side); bleeding or bruising easily; frequent nosebleeds; bone pain; and tiny red spots on your skin (known as petechiae).
Because leukemia can affect different areas of the body, its symptoms can vary from person to person.
