Leukemia Diagnosis
To confirm your condition, your doctor will need to check for signs of leukemia in your blood or bone marrow. They might do tests including:
- Blood tests: A complete blood count (CBC) looks at the number and maturity of different types of blood cells. A blood smear looks for unusual or immature cells.
- Bone marrow biopsy: This test involves marrow taken from your pelvic bone with a long needle. It’ll help know what type of leukemia you have and its severity.
- Spinal tap: This involves fluid from your spinal cord. It can tell your doctor whether the leukemia has spread.
- Imaging tests: Things like CT, MRI, and PET scans can spot signs of leukemia.
Pregnancy and imaging tests
Medical researchers aren’t sure of the effects of X-rays and CT scans done during pregnancy or in childhood. It’s thought that the risk of these low levels of radiation is very slight if there’s any risk at all.
But there’s a known link between higher levels of radiation and cancer risk. To minimize any possible risk, it’s recommended that pregnant women and children not have X-rays or CT scans unless they’re vital.