Cancers can broadly be classified into two main categories: solid tumors (oncological cancers), which originate from organs, and hematological cancers, which arise from cells in the bone marrow and blood.
For solid tumors, while abnormalities in blood counts or other laboratory tests might raise a suspicion of cancer, the primary diagnostic indicator is typically the detection of a mass or lesion in the body.
Conversely, certain hematological malignancies, such as Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), often present with suspicious findings in a complete blood count (CBC). Significant deviations like abnormally low or high white blood cell (WBC) counts, accompanied by reduced hemoglobin and platelet levels, are strong indicators for AML.
When these blood test abnormalities are combined with clinical symptoms such as persistent weakness, fatigue, gum bleeding, easy bruising, fever, or bone pain, AML becomes a primary diagnostic consideration.