Why are chemotherapy patients prone to infection?
The purpose of chemotherapy is to kill cancer cells. The way most chemotherapeutic agents accomplish this it to attack the cells of the body which are multiplying most rapidly. Unfortunately, this includes normal tissues and cells which rapidly multiply, including the hair roots, the intestines, and the lining of the mouth. Most of the common side effects of chemotherapy are caused by this type of damage. Blood cells are another type of cell constantly being replaced. Thus, patients may become anemic (from too few red blood cells) or bleed more easily (from too few platelets). The third type of blood cells, the white cells, are instrumental to the body in fighting infections, and when the white blood cell count is low, this can become a problem. Neutropenia means the neutrophil (an important type of white blood cell) count is too low to adequately fight infections. The next page contains important information about neutropenia, including how to recognize the signs and extra precautions
