Know the symptoms – Think T.E.S.T

Blood cancers can cause many different symptoms. Some are common across all blood cancers, others are more characteristic of particular types of blood cancer. For example, lymphomas can be characterised by swollen lymph nodes and one of the most common symptoms of myeloma is bone pain, especially in the back.
The vagueness and non-specific nature of the symptoms means that blood cancers can be hard to diagnose.
The common symptoms of blood cancers can include:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Feeling weak or breathless
• Easily bruise or bleed
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Swollen stomach or abdominal discomfort
• Frequent and repeated infections
• Fever/night sweats
• Pain in bones/joints
• Itchy skin
• Bone pain (ribs/back)

If you or anybody you know is experiencing any or all of these symptoms, then we urge you to visit your GP who will refer you for further tests if they suspect you have a blood cancer.

T – Tiredness and exhaustion
E – Excessive sweating
S – Sore bones and joints
T – Terrible bruising and unusual bleeding