Does cbc is a reliable test and sure to detect if you have lymphoma or leukemia or sometimes cbc cannot detect this diseases?

No: A CBC alone is not sensitive enough to detect leukemia or lymphoma. A careful medical history and physical exam and a manual review of the peripheral blood and a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are usually necessary when leukemia or lymphoma are under consideration. A CT scan is also usually ordered for evaluation for possible lymphoma.

CBC Utility: 1. Leukemia & lymphoma make up a huge and diverse number of different disease states. 2. These can be pre-symptomatic or advanced or in between. 3. The complete blood count (CBC) can be abnormal & there is NOT cancer (eg high WBC with UTI or pneumonia). 4. The CBC can be normal and a cancer is present. 5. Cancer diagnosis depends on many things. CBC may help along with more specialized tests.