Understanding blood test results

[jessie2023]

I was diagnosed with CLL a year ago and am o watch and wait. My blood test results are apparently still good but I’d like to know how they compare to normal ones.

Thank you.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

Hi Jessie,

You are welcome to post redacted copies of your blood test results to our community for comment. You should also consider making such posts private to this community for your privacy and to encourage more personal responses. See healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

When we have CLL, the primary value of blood testing is assessing when we are approaching the need for treatment. The relevant triggers are haemoglobin dropping below 100 (or 10, depending on your lab's reference range), platelets dropping below 100 (though lower, stable counts may be acceptable) and lymphocyte doubling time (when above 30) becoming more rapid than 6 months, (note there's no lymphocyte count threshold).

Blood tests also help us determine how our CLL may be increasing our risk of infection. Our neutrophil count (the white blood cells that first tackle to bugs trying to make us ill), can fall due to CLL bone marrow infiltration, the effect of certain drugs on bone marrow production, particularly CLL treatment drugs. Our immunoglobulin/antibody counts (IgA, IgG and IgM) are an important measure of our adaptive immune response - how well our immune system has learned to protect us from reinfection from past infections or from vaccination. Immunoglobulin testing is generally done infrequently by CLL specialists unless we are on supplemental IVIG or subcutaneous IgG, where it is done to check how well we are responding to our top-up infusions.

This pinned post healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo... discusses the best way to monitor your blood tests for changes in your CLL tumour burden.

This pinned post provides links to sites that will help you understand particular tests healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

CLL Society also provides a spreadsheet template for those interested in keeping a record of their blood test results and automatically plotting trends. cllsociety.org/cll-sll-pati...

Neil

[SofiaDeo]

Some labs have "normal ranges" posted on their reports. And the CLL Society has a template you can download, to track your own results over time. I think US "normal ranges" are not the same as the UK.

cllsociety.org/lab-values/

[JigFettler Volunteer]

Hi Jessie.

I see you are in the UK. So am I.

So, in addition to the excellent advice and links in the replies above you could ask your Clinical Nurse Specialist to help. You will have one and I hope you know who he/she is. You may be lucky and have a friendly GP who would do the same.

Knowing your way round the important blood results and having access to them will give you much reassurance.

Jig

[LeoPa]

Your lab report should show the ranges of normal values stated along with your current values. The difference between these is what you are looking for. How much are your values out of the normal range.

[Spark_Plug]

You want to report the changes from your last and past lab readings so others can help you see improvements or things to question your doctor about.🙂