Your blood is made up of plasma, red blood cell, white blood
cells and platelets, and has many functions; it brings oxygen
and other nourishment to your body tissues and carries away
carbon dioxide and other waste. It must also coagulate or clot
when your tissues are injured. When something in your blood is
not functioning correctly, you have a hematologic or blood
disorder. Hematologists are physicians who study, diagnose and
treat these disorders. Some blood disorders may be malignant. At
Minnesota Oncology, our hematologists are also Board Certified
in Medical Oncology, with specialized training to treat cancers
such as lymphomas and leukemias. If a hematologic disorder is
suspected you will most likely require a blood test called a
Complete Blood Count or CBC. This test evaluates a small drop of
blood and provides the count of red blood cells, white blood
cells and platelets. Your physician will also perform other
blood tests used to measure enzymes and protein in the blood to
evaluate the function of org