What To Expect From A Bone Marrow Biopsy

Next Steps To Take

An individual who has had a bone marrow biopsy will meet with the ordering doctor after their procedure to go over the results and schedule any follow-up testing that might be necessary. If a bone marrow biopsy has revealed the patient is affected by anemia, their doctor may need to conduct further tests to check for internal bleeding. A kidney biopsy may be needed to rule out kidney failure, which can cause problems with bone marrow and anemia. If the results of the bone marrow biopsy indicate the patient may have cancer in their blood, their doctor may want to carry out biopsies on other tissues they suspect may also be affected. It is common for a patient to have a lymph node biopsy if blood cancer is suspected or diagnosed after a bone marrow biopsy. An individual affected by a myeloproliferative disorder or cancer may need to undergo a follow-up bone marrow biopsy after a little time has passed to help evaluate the efficacy of their treatment.

Learn about alternative diagnostic tests next.