The sooner that people with leukemia are diagnosed, the faster treatment can begin. A thorough treatment plan can increase a person’s chances for going into remission from the disease and possibly even recovering completely from leukemia. There are several steps that a doctor will take during the diagnosing process for leukemia. Each step is necessary to ensuring a complete evaluation and correct diagnosis so that a treatment program can begin as soon as possible.

Steps to a Diagnosis

Your doctor’s appointment to evaluate for leukemia will begin like most other appointments. The doctor will take your complete medical and personal history, including if you have been exposed to any chemicals like benzene or if you work in a job that exposed you to high-radiation levels. Your doctor will also determine if you have a family history of cancer. Then, the doctor will begin a general physical exam to test your overall health and condition. This exam will also include a test to determine if the liver or spleen is swollen, or if the lymph nodes under the arms, groin, and neck are swollen.

A simple blood sample studied under a microscope can reveal abnormal blood cells and can determine if you have leukemia. Your doctor will be able to determine the number of mature cells and the number of younger cells, or blasts, as well as if the cells appear abnormal. These tests will not reveal what type of leukemia you have, however. To determine type, a specialist –either a hematologist, oncologist, or pathologist—will examine a sample of bone marrow under a microscope. The bone marrow sample is usually taken by a long needle inserted into the hip or other large bone. This is called bone marrow aspiration, as the sample taken is a liquid like substance. Sometimes, a biopsy of bone marrow, or larger sample, is needed.

Doctors may also wish to take a spinal tap in order to get fluid from the central nervous system. Chest x-rays may also be performed to reveal the presence of leukemia as it may collect in certain areas of the body. What type of further testing your doctor may choose to perform is up to your individual case.