What To Expect Before Bone Marrow Tests

Before having bone marrow tests, a doctor, nurse, or physician assistant will explain the testing process and procedure and answer questions you might have.

Let your health care team know:

• Whether you're allergic to any medicines
• Whether you have a bleeding disorder
• What medicines you're taking (you might have to stop taking some medicines, such as blood-thinning medicines, before having bone marrow tests)
• Whether you're pregnant

Who Needs Bone Marrow Tests?

Your doctor may recommend bone marrow tests if he or she thinks you have a blood or bone marrow disease or condition, such as:

• Myelodysplastic (MI-eh-lo-dis-PLAST-ik) syndrome. This is a group of diseases in which your bone marrow doesn't make enough normal blood cells.
• Neutropenia (NU-tro-PE-ne-ah). This is a condition in which you have a lower than normal number of white blood cells in your blood.
• Anemia (uh-NEE-me-uh). Anemia occurs if you have a lower than normal number of red blood cells. The condition also can occur if your red blood cells don't have enough of an iron-rich protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
• Aplastic anemia. This type of anemia occurs if your bone marrow doesn't make enough new blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets). Aplastic anemia is a rare, but serious condition.
• Myelofibrosis. This is a serious bone marrow disorder that disrupts normal production of blood cells and leads to severe anemia.
• Thrombocytopenia (THROM-bo-si-toe-PE-ne-ah). This is a group of conditions in which your body doesn't make enough platelets and your blood doesn't clot as it should.
• Essential thrombocythemia (THROM-bo-si-THE-me-ah). This is a disease in which your bone marrow makes too many blood cells, especially platelets.
• Leukemia. This is a cancer of the white blood cells. Types of leukemia include acute and chronic leukemias and multiple myeloma.