5. Pain and swelling in the joints
Bone marrow is located in the middle of most of the bones in the body. Its job is to produce both white and red blood cells. There are two types of bone marrow: red and yellow. The red marrow is mostly comprised of stem cells that produce red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. The yellow marrow is mostly made up of fat.
In people who have leukemia, the balance between the production of red and white blood cells is significantly disrupted. The production of abnormal cells eventually outnumbers the healthy blood cells in the marrow, which can lead to discomfort and inflammation in the joints.