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Breast Cancer (Expert Forum)
still low WBC five months after last chemo
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.
still low WBC five months after last chemo
by 3kids, Nov 15, 2006 12:00AM
I am scheduled for my final stage reconstruction surgery next week and just got my pre-op blood tests back. My white blood cell count is still low, 3.5 and I am concerned about how that could affect my recovery. My last chemotherapy was in late May. Should I be concerned about the count still being low, or is this common. Also, should I be on any antibiotics as a preventative before surgery? I don't see my oncologist for a check up until December. Thank you.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-RN,MSN-rf, Nov 15, 2006 12:00AM
Dear 3Kids: There is some variation among people regarding blood levels - and normal ranges vary from laboratory to laboratory. Not everyone will fall exactly into the "normal" range. However, there are some abnormal values that would be more concerning than others, depending on how close to normal the values are. Your doctor (oncologist - you can call the office) should review the blood work and determine if this value (along with the rest of the values on the test) is something that warrants further investigation. In most cases, the blood counts should return to "normal" within a couple of months of completing chemotherapy, however, some people do have persistently low counts for a long time. Ability to fight bacterial infections depends largely on the neutrophil count, which is one component of the total white blood cell count.
