Should I see a chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) specialist?
It can be difficult for GPs to decide if you may have cancer or not. There are particular symptoms that mean your GP should refer you to a specialist straight away. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have produced guidelines for GPs. They say the following symptoms may mean you need referral to a specialist within 2 weeks • Blood test results that suggest you have chronic leukaemia • Your GP can feel that your liver or spleen is enlarged • A swollen lymph node that is more than 2cm across and has been there for more than 6 weeks • Your lymph nodes are getting bigger • The guidelines also say a GP should think about referring you to a specialist if you have a combination of symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, itching, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, bone pain, bruising, unexplained bleeding, or infections that keep coming back. If you have symptoms and don’t think your GP is taking them seriously enough, you could print out this page a
