Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): Diagnosis
After your doctor does a complete medical history and physical examination, you may get diagnostic tests for leukemia.
These include blood tests, a blood and marrow biopsy, and a spinal tap (lumbar puncture). The tests will show whether the leukemia is ALL. They will also show the type of ALL and whether it has spread to other areas of the body.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA
1Getting Started In Your Care
2Getting Your Diagnosis
Consultation & Testing: What to Expect »
3Planning Your Treatment
4Undergoing Treatment & Follow-Up
Select your type of treatment below.
For everyone who comes to us, we start your care by establishing or confirming a diagnosis.
First Visit
Consultation
Test Results
Complex Cases
We collect your previous test reports and other medical records. We may need your help to do so, in case you need to sign a release form with your doctor.
a. Our goal is to review them before we meet with you so that we understand your unique case. Knowing the details of any previous diagnoses and treatments helps us provide the best possible care for you.
b. When you schedule your first appointment, our patient coordinators will contact your primary care physician and any other doctors to gather your medical records. We may need your help to do so, in case you need to sign a release form with your doctor. If we cannot obtain them in time, we may need to reschedule your appointment. You can speak with your patient coordinator or your doctor for more details.
c. Some types of medical records that you should keep include:
- Pathology reports
- List of medications, doses, and how long you took them
- Discharge summary if you had a hospital stay
- Contact information for health care providers who treated you for cancer
a. Our team meets with you for a thorough diagnostic evaluation. We gather more information during your first appointment but may still need additional tests to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.
b. If needed, you may undergo further imaging tests, blood work, or a biopsy.
a. After this testing, it typically takes a few days to 2 weeks to review the results and confirm your diagnosis. Getting your test results can take time because your care team is working hard to determine an accurate diagnosis for you.
b. Many health care professionals collaborate in the process and provide expert analysis, including your oncologist (cancer doctor), hematologist, and pathologist. Years of experience studying acute lymphoblastic leukemia cancer every day means your pathologist can accurately identify critical details, such as whether the cancer:
i. Shows a high or low cell grade (rating that describes how different the cancer cells are from normal cells)
ii. Is aggressive or slow growing
iii. Contains particular chromosome changes that indicate the cancer subtype
c. Your care team will also determine the stage of your cancer. Staging describes the size of the cancer and whether (and how far) it has spread. Staging is the most important step in planning your treatment.
Stanford acute lymphoblastic leukemia experts from several specialties meet as a team in weekly tumor boards. Based on the diagnosis, we determine our recommendations for the best sequence of treatment for each patient.
The oncologist who will begin your first treatment meets with you to discuss the recommended treatment plan. Together, you and your doctor decide on the treatment options that are right for you.
We collect your previous test reports and other medical records. We may need your help to do so, in case you need to sign a release form with your doctor.
a. Our goal is to review them before we meet with you so that we understand your unique case. Knowing the details of any previous diagnoses and treatments helps us provide the best possible care for you.
b. When you schedule your first appointment, our patient coordinators will contact your primary care physician and any other doctors to gather your medical records. We may need your help to do so, in case you need to sign a release form with your doctor. If we cannot obtain them in time, we may need to reschedule your appointment. You can speak with your patient coordinator or your doctor for more details.
c. Some types of medical records that you should keep include:
- Pathology reports
- List of medications, doses, and how long you took them
- Discharge summary if you had a hospital stay
- Contact information for health care providers who treated you for cancer
close First Visit
a. Our team meets with you for a thorough diagnostic evaluation. We gather more information during your first appointment but may still need additional tests to confirm or rule out a diagnosis.
b. If needed, you may undergo further imaging tests, blood work, or a biopsy.
close Consultation
a. After this testing, it typically takes a few days to 2 weeks to review the results and confirm your diagnosis. Getting your test results can take time because your care team is working hard to determine an accurate diagnosis for you.
b. Many health care professionals collaborate in the process and provide expert analysis, including your oncologist (cancer doctor), hematologist, and pathologist. Years of experience studying acute lymphoblastic leukemia cancer every day means your pathologist can accurately identify critical details, such as whether the cancer:
i. Shows a high or low cell grade (rating that describes how different the cancer cells are from normal cells)
ii. Is aggressive or slow growing
iii. Contains particular chromosome changes that indicate the cancer subtype
c. Your care team will also determine the stage of your cancer. Staging describes the size of the cancer and whether (and how far) it has spread. Staging is the most important step in planning your treatment.
close Test Results
Stanford acute lymphoblastic leukemia experts from several specialties meet as a team in weekly tumor boards. Based on the diagnosis, we determine our recommendations for the best sequence of treatment for each patient.
The oncologist who will begin your first treatment meets with you to discuss the recommended treatment plan. Together, you and your doctor decide on the treatment options that are right for you.
close Complex Cases
At Stanford, we tailor the diagnostic phase of acute lymphoblastic leukemia care to each patient. If you need further testing to complete your diagnosis, your doctor and care team will work with you to determine which tests you need. Tests may include:
- Leukemia Lab Tests (Blood Draws)
Before and during treatment, your doctor will ask you to have your blood drawn and tested at a lab. Blood tests can provide a variety of information, helping to establish your diagnosis and plan your course of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment.