Tests for Diagnosing Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in Children
The following tests and procedures may be used:
- Physical exam and health history: A full body exam to check the general signs of health, signs of disease, such as lumps, or anything that might seem unusual will be done. A history of the patient’s health habits and past illnesses and treatment will also be taken.
- Complete blood count with differential: An operation in which a sample of blood is drawn and checked for the portion of the samples, the number of red blood cells, the types of white blood cells, and also the particular amount of hemoglobin present in the red blood cells.
- Chest x-ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of radiation used to diagnose diseases by taking pictures of the inside of the body and it can also be used to treat cancer in high doses.
- Biopsy: This is a situation in which cells or tissues are eradicated, to be seen under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. Biopsies [4] can be done either by bone marrow aspiration or by tumor biopsy.
- Immunophenotyping: This can be described as a laboratory test that makes use of antibodies in order to discover cancerous cells depending on the types of antigens or markers present on the surface of the cells. This particular test is used to diagnose the types of leukemia.
- Cytogenetic analysis: A laboratory test in which the chromosomes of cells in a specimen of blood or bone marrow are counted and counted and examined for any abnormalities, such as broken, missing, rearranged, or extra chromosomes. Changes in specific chromosomes may be a result of cancer. Cytogenetic analysis [5] is used to help diagnose cancer, plan treatment, and check how well the treatment is effective.