What are the core symptoms of childhood leukemia?

Multiple: Kids with leukemia can have different presentations. Fever, anemia (low red blood cells--causes paleness and tiredness), easy bruising (not just from the knee to ankle), easy bleeding, bone or joint pain, limp, poor appetite, irritability, headache, seizures, swollen lymph nodes (glands), or shortness of breath. Many of these can have multiple causes, so if you're worried, see a pediatrician!

There are many.: Symptoms of leukemia include fever, anemia (low red blood cells--causes paleness and tiredness), easy bruising or bleeding, bone or joint pain, limp, poor appetite, weight loss, irritability, enlarged liver or spleen, headache, seizures, frequent infections, swollen lymph nodes (glands), and shortness of breath. If you are worried, please talk to your child's doctor soon.

Leukemia originates: In the bone marrow, so when the cancer cells grow in this area they crowd out normal cells that should be produced. This causes anemia, bleeding/bruising, and infections/fever. Some children have bone pain from the pressure that the growth of the leukemia cells within the bone. Lymph nodes can be enlarged anywhere in the body (not always) and the liver and/or spleen can be enlarged causing pain.

Bruising,tired,pain: Common symptoms of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia include fatigue/ pallor from anemia, increased bruising/ petechiae from low platelets, and bone pain from the marrow space filling up with leukemia blasts. Fever may be seen from the leukemia itself and/ or accompanying infection. Acute myeloid leiukemias often present with a more drawn out history of progressive illness/ wt loss in addition.