Resolved question:
I just had a blood count taken (finished chemo for breast cancer in august).
WBC=2.7
ANC=1.8
RBC=4.28
Hemoblobin=14.2
Platelets=212
Lymphocytes=..65
but, I had 1% (.03) Metamyelocytes. I am worried about these.
Should I be worried about blood disease?
I have been on doxycycline (but stopped a week ago) for a cellulitis that had been caused by radiation.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Oncologist
Dear,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
Your blood test is at slightly low but is showing trend towards
recovery to normalcy. There is no evidence of blood disorder. I would
advice you to continue healthy diet and recheck your blood tests after
1 or 2 months.
Kind regards,
Dr. Prasad.
The thing I am worried about is the 1% metamyelocytes. They are young-ish neutrophills. I am afraid that can mean leukemia.
You should worry if any BLASTS are seen.. Else nothing of any concern at all.
Regards
Thank you for your answer.
How can my body fight future cancers and my isolated tumor cells if my blood counts are so low?? Look at the lymphocyte count--.65. the lymphocytes seem stuck at 6.0. The neutropohils were up at 4.0 once, but now they've gone down again. Is this typical--this up and down--with chemo and white counts? My red count and platelets have been steadily rising, but the white count just won't come up and stay up. Actually at one point the lymphocytes were even at 1.0.
Can infections and antibiotics make neutrophils and lymphocytes go up and down? And could it be unpredictable, so it doesn't obviously fit with the infection or antibiotic (for example it might lag a bit).
I hope my body can still fight future cancers with these low counts. Do you think so????
The body is constantly bombarded by a variety of bacteria, viruses and other organisms. But still the immune system tackles them successfully.
However , after chemo the system is down temporarily and needs time to recover. It needs adequate diet and micro nutrition for recovery.
By continuing this for couple of months, the immune status will recover back to normal values.
Hope this clears your concern.
Have you heard that radiation causes long term lymphcytopenia, and that this compromises a woman's immune system, because she cannot fight off new cancers for years and years. Here's the article:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2845471/
I am very scared that my lymphocyte count will stay at .6 forever. Then there is very little hope.
I concur with you that the decline in immune system will definitely happen after RT and chemo. But they can be temporary and will recover slowly.
Please consult with your oncologist in this regard too..
There can be innumerable articles, but they have to be interpreted with caution.
Regards.