How is chronic myelogenous leukemia diagnosed?

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How is chronic myelogenous leukemia diagnosed?

CML is most commonly found during a routine blood count. If your healthcare provider suspects that you may have CML, they will order more tests to confirm your diagnosis. These tests may include:

  • A physical examination. Your healthcare provider will check your vital signs and gently press around your abdomen and lymph nodes to see if anything feels abnormal.
  • Bone marrow biopsy. Bone marrow samples are taken — often from your hip bone — and sent to a pathology lab for analysis.
  • FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) analysis. This test uses fluorescence to detect and locate genetic material in your cells.
  • PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test. PCR can make millions of copies of a DNA segment. This is useful when more assessments need to be performed.

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