Leukemia misdiagnosis and 'sepsis'?

My father was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis. He went into the hospital with a white blood cell (WBC) count of 57,000. He survived the pancreatitis and his WBC count is now back to normal (10,000). However, during the height of the illness (when his blood was 'septic') his WBC count went up to 140,000. He was tested (blood test) at that time for chronic leukemia and we were told it was positive. He has been tested since his WBC count went to normal and the test was inconclusive. Does anyone know if a leukemia misdiagnosis can occur when someone is 'septic'?

Leukemia is a cancer that affects the bone marrow (where your blood cells are produced), so a common sign of leukemia is an elevated WBC count. When you have pancreatitis, that means that the pancreas is inflamed, usually from a bacterial infection. To fight this infection, your body uses WBCs, so that can also elevate your count. Blood tests are the best way to diagnose leukemia, but because its such a variable disease, especially with complicating factors (like pancreatitis) it's an easy thing to misdiagnose. as a side note, it's great that your doctors are being so proactive!

It is entirely probable.

Did your father have a bone marrow biopsy this is the only way to tell if its leukaemia, they can get an idea from a blood test but its not 100% conclusive. In leukaemia the white blood cells multiply but dont work as they are should. In a marrow biopsy they can see the defective cells.