Many forms of leukaemia can be diagnosed by blood tests . A bone marrow test will also be performed to diagnose the type of cells involved as this can help doctors decide on the best choice of treatment. Acute leukaemia is usually easy to diagnose. Most patients with acute leukaemia will be referred to specialist units for investigation and treatment. These days, medical treatments are extremely effective and an ever-increasing number of children and young people recover completely.
Treatment is usually with chemotherapy given through the veins.
In most cases chemotherapy is given in courses over a total of four to six months. Each course lasts four to five days. Chemotherapy kills all fast dividing cells and this includes normal body cells as well as cancer cells. The normal bone marrow is sensitive to chemotherapy and the blood counts may drop making the patient vulnerable to infection and bleeding. This generally means that the patient has to remain in hospital for weeks following chemotherapy.