Question

Your patient has recently completed her first round of chemotherapy in the treatment of lung cancer. when reviewing this morning's blood work, what findings would be suggestive of myelosuppression?

Answer 1

When there is myelosuppression, the suggestive finding is there is a decrease in the platelets and red blood cells. Also called the bone marrow suppression, myelosuppression is a common side effect of the treatment of chemotherapy. When this side effect happens, there is a decrease in the production of blood cells. The result which may be the effect of myelosuppression is a decrease in one, two or all three types of blood cells. Most patients of chemotherapy experience a decrease in red blood cells. Another effect is the decrease of white blood cells by most patients. Myelosuppression will be subcategorized as neutropenia when chemotherapy results to the reduction of neutrophils which is a specific type of white blood cells. Thrombocytopenia is the term for a drop in platelet numbers. This kind of suppression is not that common.  Only 10 percent of cancer patients undergo the negative effects of this kind of suppression.