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Breast Cancer (Expert Forum)
Low White Blood Cell Count
Questions posted in the Breast Cancer Forum are answered by medical professionals from The Cleveland Clinic. Topics include Breast Biopsy, Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy, Lumps, Lumpectomy, Lymph node dissection, Lymphedema, Mammograms, Mastectomy, Radiation Therapy, Reconstruction, Self Breast Exam, and Surgery.
Low White Blood Cell Count
by Yuriatin, Aug 04, 2003 12:00AM
I completed chemotherapy on 8/25/02 and radiation therapy on 11/19/02 for breast cancer. I've been going thru my regular check ups accordingly. Recently, my blood work came back showing 2.0 for my white blood cells. My oncologist explained that this is a low white blood cell count but could be due still, to side effects of my treatment. She plans to repeat the testing in 2 weeks and doesn't feel this is a huge alram to be freaking out about.
All my other labs were fine CA2729 was an 8 and CA125 was a 5. Overall, I feel fine but I am tired a lot. Going back over the pat 6 or 7 months my WBC has fluctuated but never fallen to a 2. It's been 5, 2.8, 6, etc.
I'm so concerned. How can my treatment, which ended almost a year ago, still be affecting my WBC? Or can it be - is this known to happen so far out from chemo?
PLEASE share thoughts regarding the low white blood cel count - I'm so worried.
All my other labs were fine CA2729 was an 8 and CA125 was a 5. Overall, I feel fine but I am tired a lot. Going back over the pat 6 or 7 months my WBC has fluctuated but never fallen to a 2. It's been 5, 2.8, 6, etc.
I'm so concerned. How can my treatment, which ended almost a year ago, still be affecting my WBC? Or can it be - is this known to happen so far out from chemo?
PLEASE share thoughts regarding the low white blood cel count - I'm so worried.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-RN,MSN-rf, Aug 04, 2003 12:00AM
Dear yuriatin: Low white blood cell counts can persist after chemotherapy. Also, sometimes chemotherapy can contribute to some more permanent damage to the bone marrow (the factory that produces the white blood cells). For right now, repeating the blood count is appropriate. If the counts do not improve or if they drop further, it may be worth an evaluation by a hematologist.
I do indeed plan to do just this I think - repeat the tests as my Dr suggests and then, dpending on the results, connect with a hematologist.
I think that my being tired all the time combined with the low white blood cell count just has me on edge that there's something maybe very wrong.
Thanks again.