Notice any alarming symptoms that concern you. Often leukemia in the early stages masquerades as other diseases. Increased weakness and fatigue are often blamed on vitamin deficiency, susceptibility to infections - poor immunity, and meanwhile, the availability of these ailments is an indication for consultation of a hematologist and additional examinations.
Hand over the General analysis of blood at least once a year. This simple study is the primary and most accessible method of diagnosis of leukemia. All patients in the detected result of anemia, and most of them have the level of hemoglobin is below the level of 100 g/l. Three quarters of cases have thrombocytopenia, i.e. a low platelet count. And, of course, an important indicator is the number of white blood cells called leukocytes. In the early stages of the disease their number is often in the normal range, but over time there is a significant increase in their numbers. Despite the fact that their number sometimes reaches tens and hundreds of thousands, they are pathological and do not protect the body from infections. Therefore, the need to sound the alarm if you become sick more often than usual.
Do not refuse additional tests, if a physician has even the faintest suspicion of a serious disease. Bone marrow biopsy is very painful. But it allows to discover a large number of blast cells in the bone marrow and to determine the type of leukemia. Lumbar puncture in which there is a collection of cerebrospinal fluid, allows to detect CNS leukemia, i.e. lesion neoplastic cells of the Central nervous system.