Tools for leukemia diagnosis
Our specialists use a variety of tools to gather complex information about leukemia for accurate diagnosis, including:
- Physical exam
- Blood tests
- Bone marrow biopsy
- Imaging tests
During a physical exam, our nurses and hematologists will ask you about:
- Symptoms
How long they’ve been happening
- Personal and family history of cancer
- Previous exposure to chemicals
- Whether you smoke or used to smoke
They’ll also look for signs of leukemia, such as:
- Enlarged liver or spleen
- Pale skin
- Swollen lymph nodes
Blood tests are essential to accurate diagnosis of this complex disease. These tests can show whether you have leukemia cells or abnormal levels of normal cells:
- Blood smear: With this test, we take a drop of blood and look at it under a microscope. Our expert pathologists (doctors who specialize in diagnosing disease from blood or tissue samples) analyze the way the cells look. Certain changes in their appearance may indicate leukemia.
- Complete blood count (CBC): A complete blood count (CBC) measures red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
- Differential: A differential blood test (diff) counts the numbers of each type of white blood cell in your blood. It can also detect abnormal cells.
- Flow cytometry: This blood test can identify the types of cells in blood or bone marrow. It also can provide important information about the amount of DNA in the cells, as well as how quickly leukemia is spreading.
- Other blood tests: Blood tests can also measure chemicals that show how organs like the liver are functioning. This can help determine whether leukemia has spread to those parts of the body.
Some types of leukemia can stay confined to the bone marrow for a while, so they may not be detectable in the blood. Your team may order a bone marrow biopsy to check the cells in the bone marrow, where leukemia starts.
For a bone marrow biopsy, a specialist will use a long, thin needle to take a small sample of bone marrow. The sample usually comes from the hip bone. Pathologists then examine the cells for leukemia.
Our pathologists can also run special tests that detect certain characteristics in leukemia cells to help determine the best treatment options.
Your hematologist may also order imaging tests to determine whether and how much leukemia has spread in the body. The tests can also detect infections or other problems. Imaging tests include X-rays, computed tomography (or CT), magnetic resonance imaging (or MRI), ultrasound and positron emission tomography (or PET).
Our leukemia team, including hematologists, oncologists, pathologists, meet to discuss your test results. This meeting ensures that we have all of the information we need for an accurate diagnosis.
Then our physicians and nurse practitioners meet with you, taking time to educate you about the diagnosis, including:
- Test results
- Specific type of leukemia
- Questions you or your loved ones have