Leukaemia, hairy cell
Ifyour GPsuspects leukaemia, they may refer you to a haematologist (a specialist in blood disorders).
The haematologist will carry out blood tests to determine how many different types of blood cells there are in your blood sample. This is known as a full blood count (FBC).
If you have hairy cell leukaemia, it'slikely your red blood cell and platelet counts will be low.
A bone marrowsample may also be taken, which gives the haematologist more detailed information about your condition.
An ultrasound scan or a computerised tomography (CT) scan may be needed to examine your spleen.
Hairy cell leukaemia is a rare type of chronic leukaemia that gets its name from the hair-like strands around the cancerous cells.
The symptoms of hairy cell leukaemia develop slowly and aresimilar tothose ofother types of leukaemia. They include: unintentional weightloss pale skin weakness, tiredness and breathlessness fr
Ifyour GPsuspects leukaemia, they may refer you to a haematologist (a specialist in blood disorders). The haematologist will carry out blood tests to determine how many different types of blood cells
As hairy cell leukaemia develops slowly, immediate treatmentmay not be needed. You'll have regular blood tests to monitor your condition. Treatment may be recommended ifthe number of abnormal white b