Table 2.
Symptoms of acute and chronic leukaemia
| Symptom | Acute leukaemia | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Cases, n (%) n = 937 | Controls, n (%) n = 4214 | Likelihood ratio, (95% CI) | OR in multivariable analysis (95% CI) | |
| Infectiona | 237 (25) | 651 (15) | 1.6 (1.4 to 1.9) | 1.5 (1.3 to 1.8) |
| Shortness of breath | 136 (15) | 248 (6) | 2.5 (2.0 to 3.0) | 2.5 (1.9 to 3.2) |
| Fatigue | 109 (12) | 128 (3) | 3.8 (3.0 to 4.9) | 4.4 (3.3 to 6.0) |
| Chest pain | 90 (10) | 202 (5) | 2.0 (1.6 to 2.5) | 1.5 (1.1 to 2.1) |
| Abdominal pain | 89 (10) | 202 (5) | 2.0 (1.6 to 2.5) | 1.7 (1.2 to 2.2) |
| Diarrhoea | 64 (7) | 118 (3) | 2.4 (1.8 to 3.3) | 2.2 (1.5 to 3.1) |
| Malaise | 57 (6) | 58 (1) | 4.4 (3.1 to 6.3) | 3.4 (2.2 to 5.2) |
| Vomiting and nausea | 56 (6) | 98 (2) | 2.6 (1.9 to 3.5) | 1.8 (1.2 to 2.6) |
| Bruisingb | 41 (4) | 52 (1) | 3.6 (2.4 to 5.3) | 3.7 (2.3 to 5.8) |
| Fever | 28 (3) | 19 (0.5) | 6.6 (3.7 to 12) | 5.3 (2.7 to 10) |
| Nosebleeds and bleeding gums | 26 (3) | 30 (0.7) | 3.9 (2.3 to 6.6) | 5.7 (3.1 to 10) |
| Flu | 20 (2) | 24 (0.6) | 3.8 (2.1 to 6.8) | 3.9 (2.0 to 7.5) |
| Weight loss | 18 (2) | 33 (1) | 2.5 (1.4 to 4.3) | 3.0 (1.5 to 5.8) |
| Symptom | Chronic leukaemia | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Cases, n (%) n = 2877 | Controls, n (%) n = 12 811 | Likelihood ratio, (95% CI) | OR in multivariable analysis (95% CI) | |
| Infectiona | 608 (21) | 1887 (15) | 1.4 (1.3 to 1.6) | 1.5 (1.3 to 1.6) |
| Cough | 415 (14) | 1394 (11) | 1.3 (1.2 to 1.5) | 1.2 (1.1 to 1.4) |
| Hypertension | 403 (14) | 1619 (13) | 1.1 (1.0 to 1.2) | 1.2 (1.1 to 1.4) |
| Shortness of breath | 214 (7) | 666 (5) | 1.4 (1.2 to 1.7) | 1.3 (1.1 to 1.5) |
| Fatigue | 196 (7) | 409 (3) | 2.1 (1.8 to 2.5) | 2.1 (1.8 to 2.6) |
| Diarrhoea | 138 (5) | 381 (3) | 1.6 (1.3 to 2.0) | 1.4 (1.1 to 1.7) |
| Lymphadenopathy | 90 (3) | 18 (0.1) | 22 (13 to 37) | 22 (13 to 36) |
| Malaise | 70 (2) | 170 (1) | 1.8 (1.4 to 2.4) | 1.7 (1.3 to 2.3) |
| Weight loss | 65 (2) | 93 (1) | 3.1 (2.3 to 4.3) | 3.0 (2.1 to 4.2) |
| Bruisingb | 58 (2) | 115 (1) | 2.3 (1.6 to 3.1) | 2.3 (1.6 to 3.2) |
a
Infection consists of urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection, skin infection, and chest infection symptoms.
b
Bruising consists of bruising, haematoma, and contusion symptoms.