Diagnosis
A person may be supposed to have leukemia if he experiences some of the concerning symptoms or risk factors. To make a definitive diagnosis – doctors start with taking the history and then do a physical examination of the person. But physical examination may not be enough to diagnose the disease – doctors will use imaging tests, biopsies or blood tests in most of the cases.
Tests
To diagnose leukemia, many tests are used. Complete Blood Count determines the total amount of Red blood cells, white blood cells, and leukocytes. To determine if the cells are abnormal in shape or appearance, blood is examined under the microscope.
To find out the sign of leukemia, tissue biopsies are taken from lymph nodes or bone marrow. No matter these samples are small in size, but this is a very important test to identify the speed of production of cells and the type of leukemia. To check the growth of cancer to other organs, biopsies of spleen or liver are also taken.