10 Bone Marrow Cancer Symptoms
Symptom #7: Fever
In bone marrow cancer, the immune system becomes weaker making the individual more susceptible to various infections. In certain types of leukemia, patients can present with fever even without a documented infection. In Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), patients with the lowest count of neutrophils (immune cells that fight infections) are at the highest risk for infection. Also, medications used to treat AML can momentarily weaken the immune system.
Patients with MM, are also susceptible to infections due to a decreased number of white blood cells (leukopenia) in their bloodstream and an abnormal humoral immunity (i.e. antibodies). These infections are usually caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Herpes zoster (shingles), and Haemophilus influenzae.
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