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See Your Doctor if You Have |
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Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, under the arm, in the groin
Abdominal pain
Bruises at sites of minor injury
Lack of appetite
Feeling tired all the time
Bleeding easily
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Laboratory Diagnosis of Leukemia
In addition to bone marrow tissue tests, blood tests are critical to the diagnosis of leukemia. One important blood test is called a "CBC with diff," which stands for complete blood count with differential. The blood sample is examined under the microscope to identify cell features. The same sample is run into a machine called a flow cytometer. The flow cytometry report provides an automated cell count that identifies "blasts," or early cell forms, from other blood cell types. In addition to confirming the microscopic observations, flow cytometry characterizes the blasts circulating in the peripheral blood by identifying their surface molecules, which are a cell's signature as to its bone marrow origin.
The oncologist meets with the pathologist to review the blood sample, bone marrow biopsy and flow cytometry report, which are all used in confirming the diagnosis of a certain type of leukemia.
More on Leukemia How Leukemia Is Diagnosed
Blood Analysis
In the Encyclopedia: Leukemias, acute
Alemtuzumab
Beta2-microglobulin test
Bone marrow transplantation
Leukemias, chronic
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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