This is a non-invasive method of analyzing if a person is suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Swelling of lymph nodes occurs in leukemia patients. In some cases, the lymphoblasts get accumulated in the liver and spleen. This leads to their enlargement. For the lymph nodes located near the skin surface, it is possible to detect the swelling. The same holds true for liver and spleen. 

This is important to understand the change, if any, in the number of white blood cells, red blood cells and blood platelets. In case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the number of immature white blood cells, termed the lymphoblasts, increases. These are not fully functional white blood cells. As these cells replace the other cells in the bone marrow, the number of red blood cells in the blood becomes less than normal. The same is the case with blood platelets.

The procedure is minimally invasive. The medical practitioner takes a sample of your blood, using a needle, to carry out the tests. The result of the tests becomes available in a day.

This is an invasive procedure. Examination of the bone marrow cells obtained after bone marrow aspiration and biopsy gives a clear verdict on a person’s medical condition. If the percentage of lymphoblasts in the sample is close to 20 percent, it indicates acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Other tests are also performed on the marrow samples so obtained.

In case of bone marrow aspiration, a thin needle is used to collect liquid marrow from the hip bone. Bone marrow biopsy makes use of a thicker needle to take a piece of the bone along with the marrow. The procedure can be painful despite the use of anesthetic. 

This test involves the testing of the cerebrospinal fluid to understand if the lymphoblasts have spread to the central nervous system. Cerebrospinal fluid surrounds the spinal cord and the brain. This is an invasive procedure.

The sample of the cerebrospinal fluid is collected from the lower back. An anesthetic is used to numb the area. The fluid is then collected from the area between the bones of the spine. The sample is tested under the microscope. It is also subjected to chemical testing. All these tests may take two to three weeks to give results.

The chromosomes from the cells are examined for translocation or changes to the DNA. Some kinds of chromosomal changes give a clear indication of the medical condition. This test may taken more than two weeks as the cells from the samples collected from the patient are first allowed to grow in a laboratory environment and then the sample is analyzed. 

The bone marrow cells are tested with the use of antibodies that interact with the proteins on the surface of the white blood cells. The cells are then observed in a laser based flow cytometer. With this process, cells that are present in leukemia patients can be clearly identified. The procedure does not take more than a few hours. The cells for the test are collected through an invasive procedure.

This test can detect the smallest of chromosomal changes in the cells of the patient. Even when the testing sample does not contain a large number of lymphoblasts, the chromosomal changes can still be detected. The process is completed in a matter of hours once the testing sample becomes available which may require an invasive procedure. 

An MRI can detect the changes caused by the lymphoblasts accumulating in the various organs of the body as well as the lymph nodes. The process is non-invasive. The imaging process takes nearly an hour.

This process tests the presence of specific antigens on the surface of the cells. CALLA antigen is known to be present on cells in patients suffering from ALL. This test can be completed in a matter of hours. The test samples are collected through an invasive procedure.