In this section, you can learn about how ALL is diagnosed, including the symptoms and tests that you would expect to experience. The videos provide an outline of what happens during diagnosis and explain the next steps in your treatment journey. There are also practical tips on how to make the right decisions and make sure that you get the best and most appropriate care.

ALL symptoms are often non-specific: feeling tired, fever, and aches, but they increase in persistence or severity over time. Some symptoms can be quite severe (e.g. bleeding). The disease is diagnosed using bone marrow aspiration – this is a procedure where a sample bone marrow is taken from the soft tissue inside your bones using a big needle. The sample is usually taken from the hipbone.  There are different types of ALL and your healthcare team will perform blood tests to determine exactly which type you have. This will help them to devise the right treatment plan for you.

A conversation with your healthcare team about your diagnosis, treatment options and long-term outcomes is the best place to start. Consider writing down details about what they say or recording the conversation after their approval so that you can go over it later, or run through the options with your friends, family or support group.

Watch these videos with the world's leading ALL experts to learn more about the diagnostic and decision-making process.