Chemotherapy (also known as chemo) works by killing fast-growing cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs can't always tell the difference between cancer cells and fast-growing healthy cells, including red and white blood cells. As a result, one of the most serious potential side effects of many types of chemotherapy drugs is a low white blood cell count. 1,4,5Chemo that causes this side effect is described as myelosuppressive (my-eh-low-suh-PRESS-iv), because it suppresses your production of white blood cells. A low number of a specific type of white blood cells called neutrophils,—also known as neutropenia (new-tro-pee-nee-uh)—can put some patients at risk for severe infections and may interrupt chemo treatment.1-3 In fact, complications associated with a low white blood cell count are the most common causes of dose reductions or delays inchemotherapy.6-8 A sufficient white blood cell count may enable your doctors to administer chemotherapy according to their treatment schedule.
The fewer number of white blood cells you have and the longer you remain without enough, the more at risk you become for developing a potentially life-threatening infection, potentially resulting in hospitalization and administration of IV antibiotic therapy.9
Therefore, your doctor may need to delay chemo treatment or reduce your chemotherapy dose until your white blood cell count increases and the possibility of infection is reduced.
