CLL patients often experience higher rates of bruising as a result of the disease or some of its treatments. A study showed that 24% of leukemia patients reported frequent bruising before their diagnosis. In this article, we’ll discuss reasons for that and ways you may be able to manage bruising with your healthcare team.
Bruising occurs when the small blood vessels under the skin break. This damage causes blood to leak into the surrounding tissues, leading to a visible discoloration. Initially, a bruise may appear as a reddish mark that turns blue or dark purple over time and eventually yellow or green as the body heals and reabsorbs the blood.
Most of the time, bruising occurs due to an injury such as a fall. However, because of the nature of CLL and its treatments, the incidence of bruising can be higher for CLL patients. Patients may see frequent bruises appear without injuries, and the bruises may be seen in uncommon places such as the back, legs, or hands.
Over time, CLL cells can crowd out other types of healthy blood cells as they do not die when they should. The type of blood cells that stop bleeding are called platelets. If you do not have enough platelets, a condition known as thrombocytopenia, bruises may occur more frequently and take longer to heal.
Your doctor will regularly check your platelet levels and evaluate if this is the cause of your bruising. A healthy platelet level ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. If your platelets are low, you may need to receive a platelet transfusion from a donor.
A platelet transfusion is a medical treatment in which platelets are infused into a patient's bloodstream to aid in clotting. It is typically used for those with low platelet counts or platelet dysfunction.
The platelets used in transfusions are usually collected from donors through a process called apheresis. In this process, blood is drawn from the donor and passed through a machine that separates the platelets while returning other blood components back to the donor. This method allows for the collection of a large number of platelets from a single donation, making it highly effective for gathering sufficient platelets for therapeutic use.
If you are taking a CLL medicine called a BTK inhibitor (acalabrutinib [Calquence], zanubrutinib [Brukinsa], or ibrutinib [Imbruvica]), bruising is a common side effect as the medicine interferes with platelet function. If you experience high amounts of bruising while taking a BTK inhibitor and the bruises are not healing within two weeks, tell your doctor so they can consider extra measures to help you recover.
The percentage of CLL patients who reported bruising that healed within two weeks varied for each BTK inhibitor:
If your platelet levels are within a healthy range, other measures to help your bruise heal may include:
Contact your doctor about your bruises if your experience:
In conclusion, bruising is a side effect that CLL patients may experience throughout their disease journey or its treatments. Reach out to your doctor if you have any concerns to help manage the side effects of bruising. To continue learning about CLL symptoms, visit our 101 page: What are the Signs and Symptoms of CLL?
We invite you to join the HealthTree CLL Chapter by clicking on the button below to gain the benefit of participating in virtual events that cover various CLL topics with experts.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CLL CHAPTER
CLL patients often experience higher rates of bruising as a result of the disease or some of its treatments. A study showed that 24% of leukemia patients reported frequent bruising before their diagnosis. In this article, we’ll discuss reasons for that and ways you may be able to manage bruising with your healthcare team.
Bruising occurs when the small blood vessels under the skin break. This damage causes blood to leak into the surrounding tissues, leading to a visible discoloration. Initially, a bruise may appear as a reddish mark that turns blue or dark purple over time and eventually yellow or green as the body heals and reabsorbs the blood.
Most of the time, bruising occurs due to an injury such as a fall. However, because of the nature of CLL and its treatments, the incidence of bruising can be higher for CLL patients. Patients may see frequent bruises appear without injuries, and the bruises may be seen in uncommon places such as the back, legs, or hands.
Over time, CLL cells can crowd out other types of healthy blood cells as they do not die when they should. The type of blood cells that stop bleeding are called platelets. If you do not have enough platelets, a condition known as thrombocytopenia, bruises may occur more frequently and take longer to heal.
Your doctor will regularly check your platelet levels and evaluate if this is the cause of your bruising. A healthy platelet level ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. If your platelets are low, you may need to receive a platelet transfusion from a donor.
A platelet transfusion is a medical treatment in which platelets are infused into a patient's bloodstream to aid in clotting. It is typically used for those with low platelet counts or platelet dysfunction.
The platelets used in transfusions are usually collected from donors through a process called apheresis. In this process, blood is drawn from the donor and passed through a machine that separates the platelets while returning other blood components back to the donor. This method allows for the collection of a large number of platelets from a single donation, making it highly effective for gathering sufficient platelets for therapeutic use.
If you are taking a CLL medicine called a BTK inhibitor (acalabrutinib [Calquence], zanubrutinib [Brukinsa], or ibrutinib [Imbruvica]), bruising is a common side effect as the medicine interferes with platelet function. If you experience high amounts of bruising while taking a BTK inhibitor and the bruises are not healing within two weeks, tell your doctor so they can consider extra measures to help you recover.
The percentage of CLL patients who reported bruising that healed within two weeks varied for each BTK inhibitor:
If your platelet levels are within a healthy range, other measures to help your bruise heal may include:
Contact your doctor about your bruises if your experience:
In conclusion, bruising is a side effect that CLL patients may experience throughout their disease journey or its treatments. Reach out to your doctor if you have any concerns to help manage the side effects of bruising. To continue learning about CLL symptoms, visit our 101 page: What are the Signs and Symptoms of CLL?
We invite you to join the HealthTree CLL Chapter by clicking on the button below to gain the benefit of participating in virtual events that cover various CLL topics with experts.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE CLL CHAPTER
about the author
Megan Heaps
Megan joined HealthTree in 2022. As a writer and the daughter of a blood cancer patient, she is dedicated to helping patients and their caregivers understand the various aspects of their disease. This understanding enables them to better advocate for themselves and improve their treatment outcomes. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family.
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