A fever is usually an unpleasant
symptom of a viral or bacterial infection, and it goes away after the infection
is gone. Experts warn, however, that a fever can sometimes signal a much more
severe problem, such as cancer. They warn that if your fever has one of these
features, you should talk to your doctor about getting tested for lymphoma and
leukemia, as well as a variety of other cancers. The key, experts say, is to
pay attention to the fever itself and what happens after. Read on to find out
which fever feature can signal a severe problem and how you can distinguish it
from a more typical fever resulting from common sickness.
Get tested for cancer if you have recurring fevers of unknown
origin.
If you experience not just one but several fevers back to back,
experts say it's wise to request a cancer screening from your doctor. That's
because recurring fevers of unknown origin (FUO)—defined as being over 101
degrees, lasting for more than three weeks, and having no identifiable source
after three days of medical investigation—are associated with various cancers.
"An immune system that's been rendered more susceptible by
lymphoma or leukemia can indicate spiking a fever over and over, or going from
one infection to the next," writes UCSF Health, adding that you should
"never ignore" the symptom. A recurring fever may be present in both
Hodgkin's and non-lymphoma. Hodgkin's
Several other cancers are also associated with recurring fever.
While lymphoma and leukemia are the cancers most frequently
associated with recurring fever, there are a variety of other cancers that
share this symptom.
According to Cancer Research UK, ovarian cancer, kidney cancer
(renal cell cancer), liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), soft tissue
sarcoma, adrenal gland tumors, and some hypothalamus brain tumors are all
examples. "It's not clear why some cancers cause fevers, and others
don't," the health organization says. "Some cancers are thought to
produce things like toxins that cause fever," they add.
You may notice different characteristics in a cancer-related
fever.
According to experts, you may be able to distinguish between
cancer-related and unrelated fevers based on their characteristics.
"Cancer-related fever may come on in cycles," states Cancer Research
UK. "This indicates that your body temperature rises at the same rate
every day. So you may have days or weeks when you don't have a temperature, and
then the fever starts again. This form of fever can be pretty unpleasant and
unpleasant. "Their experts add to this.
The organization adds that some patients with non-lymphoma
Hodgkin's may experience night sweats and overnight fevers, with no other
obvious underlying causes. "This symptom often plays a part in helping
doctors decide which type of non-lymphoma Hodgkin's you have," says the
organization's site.
Recurring fever can have a range of other causes, too.
While some people get recurring high fever due to cancer, and it's
important to rule out this possibility, the Cleveland Clinic points out that
there could be other causes as well. According to the World Health
Organization, recurrent fevers do not have the exact underlying causes as
classic fevers, often caused by viruses, bacterial infections, or vaccination.
The Cleveland Clinic notes, "Recurring fever is one of the key
signs of a group of diseases known as periodic fever syndrome." They go on
to say that there are several types of periodic fever syndromes, including
Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated
rare syndrome (TRAPS), hyper immunoglobulin D syndrome (HIDA), neonatal-onset
multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID), Muckle-Wells syndrome, familial cold
auto inflammatory syndrome, and more. Finally, studies have discovered that
PFAPA (periodic fever with aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical
adenitis) is the most common cause of noninfectious recurring fever syndrome in
young children.
If you notice recurring fever, speak with your doctor about receiving a cancer screening and exploring the full range of possible causes.