| To take an active role in your chemotherapy plan, you
should understand your blood counts and the actions you
can take to help keep your counts up. |
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| Complete blood count |
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| A complete blood count (CBC)—sometimes referred to as
your “numbers”—helps you and your doctor monitor the effects
of your chemotherapy by measuring cells in your blood in
relation to normal ranges. “Normal” ranges provide a reference,
but your doctor and nurse will evaluate your specific counts
and work with you to determine if there are any problems
to address. |
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| A complete blood count measures amounts of
3 types of cells in your blood |
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White Blood Cells (WBCs)
WBCs help your body fight infection by protecting
against foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.
WBCs form a key part of your natural defenses, which
are provided by your immune system. Neutrophils (NEW-truh-fils),
a specific type of WBC, help protect against and fight
infection. If your absolute neutrophil count (ANC)
falls below normal, you have neutropenia. ANC is the
typical measure of your body's ability to fight infection. |
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Red Blood Cells (RBCs)
RBCs carry oxygen throughout your body, giving you
energy and keeping your organs and tissues healthy.
Hemoglobin (HEE-moh-glow-bin), also known as Hb, is
the protein that makes blood red. It contains iron
and carries oxygen in your body. Hematocrit (hee-MAT-oh-crit),
or Hct, is the percentage of red blood cells in the
bloodstream. If your Hb or Hct level is too low, you
may have anemia (ah-NEE-mee-ah), in which case you
may feel tired and fatigued. |
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Platelets (Plts)
Platelets help your body stop bleeding by working
with other blood factors to form a clot. A low platelet
count, called thrombocytopenia (throm-boh-sy-toh-PEE-nee-ah),
may lead to excessive bleeding or bruising. |
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Myelosuppressive chemotherapy can reduce the number of
blood cells in your body, potentially disrupting your
chemotherapy dose and schedule.
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| And it’s easy—you can do it! It’s important for
you to keep track of your blood counts. |
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Track
your blood counts against normal ranges |
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Normal
Ranges - Male |
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Normal
Ranges - Female |
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White
Blood Cells (WBC)
Neutrophils (ANC)
Red Blood Cells (RBC)
Hemoglobin (Hb)
Hematocrit (Hct)
Platelets (Plt) |
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5,000-10,000/mm3
2,000/mm3 and above
4.5-5.3
14-18 g/dL
42%-52%
150,000-400,000/mm3 |
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5,000-10,000/mm3
2,000/mm3 and above
4.1-5.1
12-16 g/dL
37%-47%
150,000-400,000/mm3 |
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mm
= millimeters g/dL =
grams per deciliter |
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| Next:
How Neulasta® Can Help >> |
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It’s important to talk to
your healthcare team. (more...) |
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Help support your body's
natural defenses against infection, a serious side effect of chemotherapy.
(more...) |
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