When chemotherapy is mentioned we all immediately think “hair loss.” We should more importantly be concerned about Neutropenia one of the most serious side effects of chemotherapy, and a side effect ever cancer patient should be aware of.
Neutropenia means you have a low white blood-cell count. Chemotherapy drugs work by killing fast-growing cells in the body. These drugs kill healthy white blood cells as well as cancer cells. Because white blood cells are one of the body’s main defenses against infection, you will have a higher risk of infection when you’re on chemo. If you want to know more check out Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, Special to Everyday Health Blog Post.
3 Steps Toward Preventing Infections During Cancer Treatment has an amazing Top 5 things every Cancer patient should know Infographic, an easy way to understand just how serious Neutropenia is. It’s an awesome site with helpful advice written in a way we can understand.