Father Awaiting Possible Diagnosis
Hi All,
New here. My 87 year old dad has been losing weight since December, not much appetite, now showing other symptoms like left flank pain, pain in knees, with high WBC that continues to climb. He is also still smoking cigarettes.
Doctor highly suspects Leukemia.
Apt with Hematologist the 19th of this month.
I have not told him yet though he knows he has an apt. I dont want him to know until he sees the doctor.
Can they determine what kind of Leukemia without doing a bone marrow test? What can we expect at the first apt?
At his age he doesnt need to be put through this agressive tests. I am in shock and still trying to process it all.
Hi
. I'm so sorry for your father's illness. I can imagine how worrying this is for you. When I was diagnosed with leukemia the blast cells were present in a rather routine blood test. I have never had to undergo a bone marrow test as there are very precise blood tests that have defined which leukemia I have. This has been my experience and although everyone is a little different I believe following up with a specialist is the best way forward. We have an article that you may find helpful. I'll post it here. Thank you for reaching out. I hope you find this informative and that it gives peace of mind. https://blood-cancer.com/diagnosis. Our community is here for you. Thank you for reaching out. 
It's going to depend on what kind of cancer the oncologist thinks your dad may be suffering from. Some do require a bone marrow test to confirm, and some can be discovered simply with blood tests. Your oncologist will know which path to choose. Getting a cancer diagnosis can be life-changing for sure, and it is overwhelming at first but just know we are here to help and many of us have been going through it for a while now, so we have seen most everything. Please don't hesitate to ask for help if needed and remember - you're not alone! Keep on keepin' on, DPM 
l am rapidly approaching the surprising age of 80 in 2023 and it is amazing to me how ( us old guys) somehow get through a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Just know this is an amazing community and there are many here willing to reach out to support you and your dad on this journey. While smoking puts a lot of toxins in your system for many it is hard to stop. My dad was a heavy smoker and had issues stopping as well.
The best advice I can offer as a 3 time cancer survivor is take a deep breath and take it all one day at a time. This whole thing is a process and soon you will have a better understanding of the next steps . What ever the diagnosis and treatment protocol turn out to be --- seek out a second opinion. Different physicians approach this in various ways. Ask lots of questions as you continue this journey ... Dennis(Blood-Cancer.com TEAM)
Thank you for your reply.
My dad is not a fit 87 sadly although he still gets around fairly well. He is a smoker, has COPD, has lost 10 lbs in less than 6 months (as of 2 weeks ago) and had lost 8.5 in less than a month and a half, is more tired, less energy, notices breathing is a bit worse (not using oxygen yet), his left side hurts when he lies down on it, his knees buckle and hurt when he gets up and he isn't eating as much although since they told him he has lost weight tries to make himself eat more and he has intermittent atrial fibrillation among other less significant issues. He had lung cancer in the past but was very lucky to have one lobe removed and no chemo or radiation because it was contained in that lobe.
I have been saying since December with his rapid weight loss that something was wrong but a Pet Scan in January showed no cancer. Here we now are in May and a couple weeks ago the doctor saw his white count higher than it had been the previous week and put it all together. I worked in healthcare so am trying to prepare myself. I look at how much he has changed since December and feel he does have Leukemia and it has most likely progressed (especially hearing about the flank pain on the left). If I hear better news, great but honestly I do not see him being able to get treatment and do well. I hope I am wrong but feel preparing for the worst is best then if we do not get such bad news I will be happily surprised. I can literally see him deteriorating before my very eyes. Very hard. Thank you again for your kind response.
and thank you so much for your replies and help. I will hopefully have a little bit more information from his visit on the 19th although I am guessing the hematologist will need to do more testing to see exactly what is going on. His white cell count was over 13k and even higher the last blood test. His red cell count were normal but basophils were a bit high. I appreciate your links and help! I may be reaching out after the 19th. Thinking of you and your father. Take good care and rest when you can. Try to enjoy your time when you can and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
