Does your white cell count tell you whether you have cancer?

Maybe: Bone mrrow cancers (leukemias) can cause abnormal wbcs in the blood which can be detected on a complete blood count (cbc). Sometimes very low WBC counts are caused by bone marrow malignancy also. But the count alone is not usually helpful in telling if someone has cancer or not.

Not usually: Cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma, that affect the blood and bone marrow can cause abnormalities in the WBC count. Normal value ranges from 4, 500-10, 000 WBC per microliter (mcl) but can vary slightly among different laboratories. A doctor can help you understand the meaning of your specific results and if further tests are needed.