How is leukemia found/diagnosed?

Symptoms: Most of the time, people present with symptoms like small bruises or blood sports or fevers and blood test is drawn. The blood test if abnormal will then have peripheral smears with abnormal cells. More tests will be done to the blood or a bone marrow aspiration/biopsy is done and leukemia is diagnosed and typed as per the cells and staining seen.. This is a simplified picture.

Multiple: Leukemia can present with multiple signs and symptoms including but not limited to: bone pain, refusal to bear weight, gum bleeding, bleeding from other sites, pallor, lack of appetite, fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, easy bruising, fatigue, etc. If a concern for leukemia exists the diagnosis is confirmed with blood and bone marrow tests.