What lab values indicate AML?
The percentage of blasts in the bone marrow or blood is particularly important. Having at least 20% blasts in the marrow or blood is generally required for a diagnosis of AML. (In normal bone marrow, the blast count is 5% or less, while the blood usually doesn’t contain any blasts.)
What does AML look like on a CBC?
AML is diagnosed with blood and bone marrow tests. Blood Cell Counts. The doctor orders a test called a CBC (complete blood count) to count the numbers of red cells, white cells and platelets. Usually, patients with AML have lower-than-expected numbers of red blood cells and platelets.
How is AML diagnosed?
To confirm a diagnosis of AML, a small sample of your bone marrow will be taken to examine under a microscope. This procedure is known as a bone marrow biopsy. The doctor or nurse will numb an area of skin at the back of your hip bone, before using a thin needle to remove a sample of liquid bone marrow.
What is a high blast cell count?
Elevated levels of blasts—defined as the bone marrow containing at least 20 percent blasts—are associated with a higher risk of a myelodysplastic disorder progressing to AML. Doctors perform sophisticated tests, which help them identify abnormal chromosomes in bone marrow cells.
Does AML have low WBC?
A person with AML develops abnormal numbers of these cells very quickly, giving the disease the name “acute.” The white blood cell (WBC) count may be higher or lower than normal, but the WBCs that are being produced do not function well.
Can you have AML with normal CBC?
Complete blood count Patients with AML can have high, normal, or low white blood cell (WBC) counts.
How high is WBC 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.
What is the platelet count in leukemia?
Understanding your blood count test results
| Platelets (per μl) | White blood cells (per μl) | |
|---|---|---|
| Children | 150,000–400,000 million | 5,000–10,000 |
| Women | 150,000–400,000 million | 4,500–11,000 |
| Men | 150,000–400,000 million | 5,000–10,000 |