Many side-effects can result as chemotherapy treatment. Cancer cells can rapidly grow and divide and chemotherapy drugs are aimed at terminating them. As a result though, the drugs also destroy healthy cells. Blood cells in the bone marrow (location of blood cells) are one of the specific normal cells that may be affected. These blood cells include:
White Blood Cells (cells that help to fight infection)
Red Blood Cells (cells that carry oxygen to other parts of the body)
Platelets (cells that cause the blood to clot)
White Blood Cells – chemotherapy can drastically lower white blood cells (below) and putting your risk of contracting an infection higher than normal. These infections can occur in any part of your body, such as in the lungs, urinary tract, rectum, and mouth. If your white blood cell count result drops too low your specialist may decide to delay treatment or lower your chemotherapy dose, giving the cells a chance to recover.
Red Blood Cells – Chemotherapy can also cause a decrease in the number of red blood cells (below) . If these cells are decreased below the threshold level – the tissues may be deprived of oxygen and you may develop anaemia which can make you feel very tired. Anaemia can also cause you to feel – out of breath, dizzy, and weak. If your red blood cell count result comes back too low, rather than postponing chemotherapy treatment, your specialist may suggest a blood transfusion which will increase your red blood cell count.
Platelets – The number of platelets in your bloodstream (below) may decrease due to the effects of chemotherapy treatment on your bone marrow. Platelets are necessary to combat bleeding by causing the blood to clot. If your platelet count becomes too low you may notice that you bruise or bleed more easily than usual. Platelet cells can also be increased by a platelet transfusion.
Therefore – routine blood tests are extremely important. They are usually taken on a weekly basis during your chemotherapy treatment to monitor levels of each type of blood cell and ensure that they are at an acceptable level in the blood stream.
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