What is a bone-marrow biopsy for?
Question:
Answers:
Apart from checking to see if you have cancer of the bone marrow, Leukaemia. It can give the dr an idea of the number of new blood cells developing and how healthy the marrow/ blood cells are. Another conditon that affects the marrow is A Plastic Anemia, there is no cancer but the bone marrow has failed and can not produce new blood cells, with this condition you will need a marrow transplant and regular blood and platelet transfussions till this happens. If its leukaemia that is found, it is treated by chemotherapy and a marrow transplant maybe needed but not always. Bone Marrow conditions can be treated, some patients develop other fatal conditions from chemotherapy or having low immunity (white cells). But sometimes treatment isnt sucessful, as the bone marrow is the centre for making blood which keeps us alive. My daughter had an acute (fast growing) leukeamia, she got through her chemotherapy and is showing no signs of cancer. There was some concerns when treatment was finished that her bone marrow had failed and she had A Plastic Anemia. After a few months of blood and platelet transfussion it finally started working on its own. She had marrow biopsys which detected the leukaemia, then later on to see if the cancer was gone. Then she had to have them to see if she was producing new blood cells. Some patients with A Plastic Anemia can develop leukaemia. All the best.
Read this from Wikipedia:
"Bone marrow examination is used in the diagnosis of a number of conditions, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, and anemia. The bone marrow produces the cellular elements of the blood, including platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells. While much information can be gleaned by testing the blood itself (drawn from a vein by phlebotomy), it is sometimes necessary to examine the source of the blood cells in the bone marrow to obtain more information"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_marrow_biopsy
Read this from the Harvard Medical School:
"Doctors can diagnose many problems that cause anemia, some infections, and some kinds of leukemia or lymphoma cancers by examining a sample of your bone marrow (the tissue where blood cells are made). A bone marrow biopsy is the procedure to collect such a sample. It is done using a large needle inserted through the outside surface of a bone and into the middle of the bone, where the marrow is."
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/diagnostics/marrow/marrowWhat.shtml
Read this from the National Institutes of Health:
"The test is done after abnormal types or numbers of red or white blood cells are found in a complete blood count, or to evaluate whether other systemic diseases are present in the bone marrow. The examination may detect the cause of the abnormality, certain types of anemia (not enough red blood cells), cancer in the marrow, and may be used to monitor the response to therapy for some cancers."
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003934.htm#Why%20the%20test%20is%20performed
.
It is looking at the imunity levels within the bone marrow. One of the major functions of bone marrow is infection prevention. By doing a biopsy it is possible to ensure it is doing what it should be doing. It can also help diagnose diseases such as leukeamia and hodgkins lymphoma. People may also have a biopsy to check their compatability as a potential doner.
More Questions and Answers
- I just found out I have herpes, but my girlfriend cheated first, so I shouldn't have to tell her anything?
- What causes an appendix to rupture?
- lump on shoulder and hand numbing?
- i (male ) had a hernia and i wanted to know if its going to effect me from having kids?
- Does anyone else get arsy with asthma??
- What causes cancer? How do you prevent getting cancer?
- What if everything we knew about AIDS was wrong?
- What are the affects of someone w/o asthma stealing an inhaler?