To determine whether you have leukemia and what type, you may need several exams and tests. The tests will help us understand:
- Type of leukemia
- How advanced it is
- What types of treatments will be most effective
There are several types of leukemia. Diagnosis of a specific type is essential to decisions about leukemia treatment.
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
Physical Exam
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
Leukemia Blood Tests
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.
Bone Marrow Biopsy
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.
Imaging Tests
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).
Understanding the Results of Leukemia Testing
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
Getting a Second Opinion on a Leukemia Diagnosis
If you already have a leukemia diagnosis, you may want to seek a second opinion from a Penn Medicine expert.
Our hematologist-oncologists, pathologists and nurses specialize in only leukemia. We can confirm the diagnosis, clarify the type and provide additional information to guide treatment decisions. We review your test results and medical records and determine what additional, advanced testing you need.
Consulting with us can help you make sure you choose the most effective treatments for the exact type of leukemia.
Leukemia Diagnosis: The Penn Medicine Advantage
For accurate diagnosis of leukemia, Penn Medicine's Blood Cancer Program offers:
- Guidance through the process: When you contact our team for leukemia diagnosis, you work closely with a patient coordinator or nurse navigator specialized in blood cancer. They make sure you quickly get the appointments you need for tests and consultations. They can also help with barriers to care such as financial issues and connect you to special services. After your appointments, our team takes time to make sure you understand your leukemia and what it means.
- In-house labs and tests: We do all of our testing and lab work on-site. This means you get faster results and start treatment quickly.
- History of leadership in the field: Penn is an international leader in the diagnosis of leukemia. Our physicians are leaders in leukemia organizations, helping create international guidelines and teaching other hematologists about accurate diagnosis.
- Well-established research program: Penn has a robust leukemia research program. Every day, our scientists learn more about leukemia and better ways to detect it.
Make an Appointment
Please call 800-789-7366 or request a callback.