In fact, up to 1 in 5 cases of cancer may be initially misdiagnosed, according to ABCNews. Our attorneys have heard numerous horror stories from leukemia patients who describe traveling from specialist to specialist, often at great expense, only to have their disease misdiagnosed at every turn.
Blood tests.
By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.
Common leukemia signs and symptoms include: Fever or chills. Persistent fatigue, weakness. Frequent or severe infections.
Some signs of leukemia, like night sweats, fever, fatigue and achiness, resemble flu-like symptoms. Unlike symptoms of the flu, which generally subside as patients get better, leukemia symptoms generally last longer than two weeks, and may include sudden weight loss, bone and joint pain and easy bleeding or bruising.
Complete blood count (CBC): This blood test lets your healthcare provider know if you have abnormal levels of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. If you have leukemia, you'll likely have higher than normal counts of white blood cells.
When is a patient tested for leukemia? "A patient may be tested for leukemia if he or she has unexplained weight loss, night sweats or fatigue, or if he or she bruises or bleeds easily," Dr. Siddon says. "Sometimes routine blood work shows an unexplained elevated number of white blood cells."
Leukemia symptoms commonly include fatigue, breathlessness, infections, and bruising or bleeding more easily. Leukemia* symptoms vary depending on the type of leukemia. Not everyone gets the same symptoms, and you won't necessarily have all of the symptoms. Most people with these symptoms won't have leukemia.
Chronic Leukemia May Go Undetected
It may take months or even several years before the disease begins to cause symptoms that alert the patient that something is wrong.
Flow cytometry: This blood test can identify the types of cells in blood or bone marrow. It also can provide important information about the amount of DNA in the cells, as well as how quickly leukemia is spreading.
The disease is usually self limiting in most cases. EBV is also the most common infectious trigger of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis [2, 3]. The presentation of both diseases mimics lymphoreticular malignancies and frequently it can be mistaken for leukemia and lymphomas.
Blood cancers affect the production and function of blood cells. There are 3 main groups - leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Abstract. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause profound alterations in the bone marrow. These alterations can mimic the more serious diagnosis of acute leukemia.
The fatigue that comes with leukaemia or any cancer is known as cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and it is characterised by extreme or persistent exhaustion that disrupts your daily activities and function.
Leukemia starts in the soft, inner part of the bones (bone marrow), but often moves quickly into the blood. It can then spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system and other organs.
Stage I: The patient has lymphocytosis and enlarged lymph nodes. The patient does not have an enlarged liver or spleen, anemia, or low levels of platelets. Stage II: The patient has lymphocytosis and an enlarged spleen and/or liver and may or may not have swollen lymph nodes.
In the United States, approximately 75% of people under age 20 diagnosed with leukemia are diagnosed with ALL. Most cases occur between ages 2 and 5. However, it can be diagnosed at any age. An estimated 400 people ages 15 to 19 in the United States are diagnosed with the disease each year.
Age: The risk of most leukemias increases with age. The median age of a patient diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is 65 years and older. However, most cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occur in people under 20 years old.
Bone marrow biopsy
This is the gold standard investigation to diagnose Leukemia. This invasive procedure is done after the suspicion of Leukemia or when the blood test reports point to a Leukemic picture. The procedure involves the removal of a small sample of bone marrow from the hipbone.
The hallmark of leukemia is the presence of a high proportion of primitive cells and a paucity of normal hematopoietic elements. Bone marrow aspirates and biopsy samples demonstrate the characteristic replacement of normal marrow elements with the monotonous sheets of leukemic blasts.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant transformation and proliferation of white blood cells called lymphocytes. The hallmark of ALL involves chromosomal abnormalities and genetic alterations associated with differentiation and proliferation of the malignant cells.