When to worry about unexplained fever with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Unexplained Fever is a very common presentation of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Fever may reflect the illness itself, an infection, or a treatment effect, and these possibilities cannot be separated safely by symptoms alone. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and its treatments can reduce the body's ability to respond to germs. Chills, sweats, cough, sore throat, pain when passing urine, diarrhoea, or a new rash can provide useful clues, but fever may be the only sign.

Check your temperature using the method your team recommended and write down the reading, time, and other symptoms. Call the oncology contact number immediately according to your fever plan. Tell them about recent treatment, medicines, central lines, and possible infection exposure. Do not take a fever-reducing medicine unless your team has told you to, as it may hide a change that clinicians need to assess. Keep drinking if you can, but do not delay the call.

Seek urgent care immediately for trouble breathing, confusion, unusual sleepiness, fainting, severe weakness, shaking chills, inability to drink, repeated vomiting, or rapidly worsening pain. A fever during cancer treatment can require same-day assessment even when you feel relatively well. Follow the emergency instructions given by your team, and tell emergency staff that you have acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Ask what temperature or symptoms should trigger a call, which number to use outside clinic hours, whether you should take paracetamol, and how to manage a central line while fever is being assessed.