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Tests
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is often discovered coincidentally during a routine checkup or blood test performed for an unrelated complaint or condition. For other people, leukemia may be diagnosed after symptoms develop. No matter what triggers the evaluation for ALL, it begins with the medical history and physical exam.
During the medical history, the doctor will ask you questions about your health, to find clues about whether you might have leukemia. Your doctor will ask about how severe your symptoms are, how often you have them, and how long they last. You should also be prepared to answer questions regarding your history of disease and that of your immediate family. Although leukemia is not inherited, it's possible to inherit a predisposition for developing a genetic mutation associated with leukemia.
During the physical exam, the doctor will check for swelling of the lymph nodes, spleen, and liver and listen to your heart and lungs. Your blood pressure and pulse will be measured. Your doctor will look for physical signs of infection and evaluate your skin color and condition.
Based on the results of the history and physical exam, your doctor may order additional testing. Despite the sophistication of many testing procedures and the valuable information they can provide, tests alone do not provide a diagnosis. Your doctor is ultimately responsible for interpreting test results, so it's vital that he or she has a good grasp of what each test can and cannot reveal about your condition. Before moving forward with a diagnostic test, especially an invasive test like bone marrow biopsy, review with your doctor how the test results will add to his or her understanding of your condition.
This section contains more on:
• Blood sampling
• Bone examination
• Laboratory tests
• Imaging
• Lumbar puncture
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