|
|
|
Neutropenia When your neutrophils are low, you have less ability to fight infections. Infections can make you very sick and may cause you to miss your next treatment or need a smaller dose of chemotherapy. Smaller doses or delayed doses can sometimes mean a less effective treatment. Causes of Neutropenia Certain kinds of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation can affect your body's ability to make neutrophils. Chemotherapy affects the neutrophil count usually beginning anywhere from 7-14 days after you receive your dose of chemotherapy. Neutropenia is the term used to describe your condition when your neutrophils have dropped very low. The term "nadir" is used to describe the lowest point that your blood cells drop to after you receive treatment. Your blood cells are expected to drop after treatment (some treatments cause a bigger drop than others). The nadir can occur anywhere from 7 to 14 days after you receive your chemotherapy but can vary based upon the type of chemotherapy you receive, or the dose that you receive. The cells will start to rise again and will need to recover before you start another treatment. It is very important to understand that not every patient that develops neutropenia will develop an infection. Many patients will develop neutropenia after their treatment and recover without any complication. There are many factors that contribute to the development of neutropenia, including the dose of chemotherapy (a higher dose usually causes a lower neutrophil count), the type of chemotherapy (some chemotherapies cause a greater drop in your neutrophils than others) and whether or not you have other problems in addition to cancer, such as HIV infection, etc. Special Populations |
|
||||||||||||||
