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.
