This page has no medical advice – this is a list of things that patients wished they had known at diagnosis along with a layman’s definition of them. Please ask your doctor any questions you might have!
“What’s a neutrophil?”
A neutrophil is the body’s first responder to injury/infection.
“What’s neutropenia?”
Neutropenia is a medical term meaning that you have low neutrophils. There are three levels of neutropenia:
Mild: Your neutrophils are between 1000 and 1500 (or 1800 – some labs have different reference ranges).
Moderate : Your neutrophils are between 500 and 1000.
Severe: Your neutrophils are under 500. When you are severely neutropenic, talk to your oncologist and see if they have any concerns about it.
Your neutrophils may also show as something like 0.7 – add two zeroes and remove the period and you’ll know your neutrophil count; now you know your neutrophils are 700.