With this figures, I could surmise that the nurse is talking about your white blood counts or the neutrophil counts. White blood cell precursors in the bone marrow are usually affected by chemotherapy and this can lead to low levels of these blood cells. Since white blood cells are our body's defense against infections, the manifestations of low white blood counts would include fevers or any focus of infection.
Filgrastim is also prescribed as pegfilgrastim (called Neulasta). My doctor used the 500 neutrophill count as a cut-off, so every time I got down around 500 I used Neulasta. The interferon drops neutrophils and platelets. Some people can do okay with low neutrophils but just as many end up with kidney and sinus infections, etc., that make you even more miserable.
Interferon can cause a condition called ‘neutropenia’ or the suppression of white blood cells necessary to fight infection. In some countries, the drug Neupogen (filgrastim) is available to combat this, and to keep patients on full dose HCV meds.
Filgrastim and PEG-filgrastim are relatively expensive; and they might not be available in all areas.
Taken 21 injections of Pegasys 180 mcg till date. i am having very wide fluctuations in WBC and ANC. The range is between 6500 and 1400 for WBC and 4700 and 260 for ANC. Doctors unable to give any explanation for such wide variations on a dose to dose basis. Till date, I have also taken 5 doses of Filgrastim - the WBC Stimulator.
Can you pleae advice possible reasons for such wide fluctuations.
Hi,
The biologic nature of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is such that it usually does not respond well to surgery. In other words, clinical studies have proven that if a patient with SCLC undergoes surgery, the cancer will usually recur. This is probably because SCLC is a systemic disease, with micro-metastases already spread (but not detectable with scans etc) at time of diagnosis.
Abstract
Various viral kinetics among patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB) have been observed in clinical practice. This study investigated the virological, biochemical, and serological characteristics of AHB in adults.A total of 192 adult patients with AHB were recruited between December 2010 and January 2014. The quantification of biochemical and serologic markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was monitored from the onset.Of the 192 patients, 113 patients were followed up.
In the absence of data, reduction in IFN dose and/or G-CSF dose for those who develop neutropenia while undergoing IFN-based therapy for HCV infection are often initiated in clinical practice, as suggested in treatment guidelines [6] and mandated in most clinical trials [15]. Reduction of IFN dose is well accepted to have a detrimental effect on the rate of sustained virological response [2].
Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) or NEUPOGEN® (Filgrastim) may reduce your chance of getting an infection, but it does not prevent all infections. An infection can happen anytime your neutrophil counts are low. Look for signs of infection, such as fever, chills, rash, sore throat, diarrhea, or redness, swelling, or pain around a cut or sore. If you have any of these signs, contact your health care professional immediately.
http://www.neulasta.com/starting-chemo-with-neulasta/about-neulasta-neupogen.
i do forsee such trials coming in the near future. we are already involved in one such trial using GS-7977 and ribavirin w/o interferon in selected child's A cirrhotic patients on the liver transplant waiting list with HCC.
They are called braxton hicks. Chances are you have had them but haven't noticed as early in pregnancy they tend to be painless and infrequent. Later in pregnancy you will feel them. They will feel like a cramp or rly bad muscle spasm like a charlie horse in ur uterus. A change in position and a cool glass of water will make them go away.
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