Bone Marrow Biopsy

BONE MARROW BIOPSY

THE ONLY CONFIRMATORY TEST TO DETECT BLOOD CANCERS.

There are several conditions that affect the different types of blood cells. Abnormal blood counts can lead a doctor to suspect that there might be a problem in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is a soft spongy tissue found in the bones and contains stem cells that produce red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets found in our blood.

A Bone Marrow Biopsy is a procedure to remove a small sample of the bone marrow from the hip bone for further examination. There are two parts to the biopsy:

1. Bone Marrow Aspirate – where a small amount (1-10 mls) of the bone marrow is sucked out into a syringe

2. Bone Marrow Trephine – where a small core/ piece of the bone marrow is removed using a syringe

The Bone Marrow Biopsy is the only definite way for a doctor or a Haematologist (doctor specialising in blood disorders) to detect or determine uncommon conditions such as various types of blood cancers among others.

A BONE MARROW BIOPSY IS A LOW-RISK PROCEDURE. During the procedure the patient might experience mild pain and bleeding which is temporary.