Sepsis (Blood Stream Infection)
Sepsis is a systemic (body-wide) response to an infection. People with compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients, are at risk for sepsis.
Sepsis is a systemic (body-wide) response to an infection. People with compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients, are at risk for sepsis.
Pegfilgrastim is a type of colony stimulating factor, which is a group of medications that stimulate the production and function of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a protein produced by the body to increase production of white blood cells. Pegfilgrastim is a long-acting, man-made version of G-CSF that stimulates white blood cell production, and in particular, neutrophil production. A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell that is responsible for fighting infection and is often decreased during cancer therapy. When the number of these cells drops below 1000/mm3, it is called neutropenia and puts the patient at significant risk of infection. Pegfilgrastim is used to prevent or treat neutropenia related to chemotherapy.
Pegfilgrastim is not a cancer treatment, but a supportive care medicine. This means it is used to lessen the bone marrow suppression (reduced blood counts) secondary to cancer and its cytotoxic treatments.
An introduction to neutropenia, its causes, treatments, and ways to reduce your risk of infection.
Neutropenic fever is a fever while a patient is neutropenic. A fever in a neutropenic patient is a temperature of or greater than 100.4°F or 38.0°C.
Pegfilgrastim is a type of colony stimulating factor, which is a group of medications that stimulate the production and function of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a protein produced by the body to increase production of white blood cells. Pegfilgrastim is a long-acting, man-made version of G-CSF that stimulates white blood cell production, and in particular, neutrophil production. A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell that is responsible for fighting infection and is often decreased during cancer therapy. When the number of these cells drops below 1000/mm3, it is called neutropenia and puts the patient at significant risk of infection. Pegfilgrastim is used to prevent or treat neutropenia related to chemotherapy.
Pegfilgrastim is not a cancer treatment, but a supportive care medicine. This means it is used to lessen the bone marrow suppression (reduced blood counts) caused by cancer and its treatments (medication and radiation therapy).
A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell that acts as a first responder when an infection is starting in the body. When this count is low it is called neutropenia. This handout discusses neutropenia, precautions to take to decrease risk of infection, signs of infection and food safety while neutropenic.
Cancer itself and the therapies used to treat it can affect your normal blood counts. This article explains the various types of blood cells, what their normal levels should be, and how your body is affected when these counts become too low. Includes a chart to track blood counts.
Filgrastim is a type of colony stimulating factor, which is a group of medications that stimulate the production and function of blood cells. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a protein naturally produced by the body to increase the production of white blood cells. Filgrastim is a man-made version of G-CSF that stimulates white blood cell production, and in particular, neutrophil production. A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell that is responsible for fighting infection and is often decreased during cancer therapy. When the number of these cells drops below 1000/mm3, it is called neutropenia, which puts the patient at significant risk of infection. Filgrastim is used to prevent neutropenia related to cancer therapy. It may also be used to increase the number of white blood cells prior to a stem cell collection for transplant.
Filgrastim is not a cancer treatment, but a supportive care medicine. This means it is used to lessen bone marrow suppression (reduced blood counts) secondary to cancer and its cytotoxic treatments.
Sargramostim is a man-made version of GM-CSF, a protein that stimulates white blood cell (WBC) production, and in particular, neutrophil, macrophage, and dendritic cell production. These types of WBCs are responsible for fighting infection and are often decreased during cancer therapy.
Neutrophils are the first WBCs to respond to fight infection. When the number of these cells drops below 1000/mm3, it is called neutropenia. This puts the patient at significant risk of infection. Macrophages fight infection by ingesting bacteria but are longer-acting than neutrophils. Dendritic cells make up only 1% of WBCs but are constantly scanning the area, notifying neutrophils and macrophages when they detect infection.
Sargramostim is not a cancer treatment, but a supportive care medicine. This means it is used to lessen bone marrow suppression (reduced blood counts) secondary to cancer and its cytotoxic treatments.
Cancer and the treatments used for cancer can affect your blood counts. These articles detail how your blood counts are affected.
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