Which test result places a patient with leukemia at high risk for developing infection?
A complete blood count (CBC) is a common blood test that your doctor may recommend to: Help diagnose some blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma Find out if cancer has spread to the bone marrow See how a person’s body is handling cancer treatment Diagnose other, noncancerous conditions If you are receiving chemotherapy, your doctor will likely watch your blood cell counts
often using a CBC. A CBC measures the amount of 3 types of cells in your blood: White blood cell count. A white blood cell count, also called a leukocyte count, measures the total number of white blood cells in a sample of blood. These cells protect the body from infection by attacking invading bacteria, viruses, and other foreign materials in the body. Some white blood cells can also attack cancer cells. White blood cell differential. A white blood cell differential measures the number of each type of white blood cell.There are 5 major types of white blood cells, andeach type plays a different role in protecting the body. Your doctor can learn valuable information about your health by measuring the levels of these cells: Neutrophils Lymphocytes Monocytes Eosinophils Basophils Red blood cell count. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. A red blood cell count, also called an erythrocyte count, measures the number of red blood cells in a sample of blood. There are several ways to measure red blood cells. Two of the most common are:
Platelet count. A platelet count measures the number of platelets in a sample of blood. Platelets help to stop bleeding by forming blood clots. The amounts of each of these types of cells have a normal range. Your health care team will note this range on your CBC lab results. A range is used instead of a specific number because a normal amount is different for each person. What do the results mean?Your health care team must carefully read CBC test results. Keep in mind that many factors, including noncancerous conditions, can lead to results that fall out of the normal range. Ask your doctor to help you understand what your results mean.
Questions to ask your health care teamConsider asking the following questions about your CBC test:
Related ResourcesWhen the Doctor Says Cancer More InformationCollege of American Pathologists: Healing Begins in the Laboratory (video) MedlinePlus: Laboratory Tests Download ASCO's free 1-page (front and back) fact sheet on Understanding Complete Blood Count (CBC) Tests as a printable PDF. This introduction to understanding blood test results has information on complete blood count, white blood cell count, white blood cell differential, red blood cell count, and platelet count, as well as words to know, and questions to ask the healthcare team.What do CBC results look like with leukemia?Leukemia is most often diagnosed through a diagnostic test called a complete blood count (CBC). If a patient's CBC shows abnormal levels of white blood cells or abnormally low red blood cells or platelets, he or she has leukemia. The physician will then order a bone marrow biopsy to determine the type of leukemia.
What blood tests show leukemia?A complete blood count (CBC) is a common blood test that your doctor may recommend to: Help diagnose some blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma.. Neutrophils.. Lymphocytes.. Monocytes.. Eosinophils.. Basophils.. What is the WBC count in leukemia?At the time of diagnosis, patients can have very, very high white blood cell counts. Typically a healthy person has a white blood cell count of about 4,000-11,000. Patients with acute or even chronic leukemia may come in with a white blood cell count up into the 100,000-400,000 range.
Does leukemia cause low WBC?Leukemia can also present with very low white blood cell counts, because the immature cells get trapped in the bone marrow and are not detected in blood tests.
|