How is chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) diagnosed?
The signs and symptoms of CML are common and can be confused with those of other conditions. People with these symptoms will often see the doctor to find out what’s causing them. The doctor will want to know how long the symptoms have been present and will do a physical exam. He or she will check for signs of swelling in the liver, lymph nodes, and spleen. The doctor may order a blood test called a complete blood count (CBC). This test shows how many white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets there are in a patient’s blood. The test can help the doctor decide whether a patient has CML. To learn more, the doctor may take a sample of bone marrow. To do this, the doctor inserts a needle into a bone, such as the pelvic bone. Next, the doctor draws out some of the liquid marrow from the bone. Then, he or she will look at the bone marrow sample under a microscope. This can help find out what kind of leukemia the patient has. Cytogenetic (si-toe-je-NEH-tick) analysis of the blood and b
