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How is AML diagnosed, and what tests can patients expect?
Charles Craddock
March 16, 2026
For AML World Awareness Day 2026, Know AML was pleased to speak with Know AML ambassadors Erik Aerts, a specialist hematology nurse based in Switzerland, and Charles Craddock, an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) physician based in the United Kingdom. We asked, How is AML diagnosed, and what tests can patients expect?
Erik explains that for patients with suspected AML, the first step is to have a blood test. If the results suggest AML, patients can expect to have a bone marrow biopsy to confirm whether they have AML. Further tests are then often done, which look at the patient’s genes to see if there are any specific changes (gene abnormalities) that might be causing the AML. Waiting for the results from these tests can be stressful for patients, but they help the medical team to understand more about a patient’s specific type of AML and to choose the appropriate treatment.
Charles highlights the importance of doing these additional tests once the diagnosis of AML is confirmed. He explains that these genetic tests help the medical team to classify a patient’s AML into different risk groups, which guides decisions about the most appropriate treatment and whether a stem cell transplant may be recommended. He also highlights that these tests can show whether a patient has a type of AML that may benefit from targeted therapies, which are designed to act on specific gene abnormalities.
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