If you or someone you know has ever had cancer or any other illness that requires careful monitoring, you’re probably thinking: How do I have any blood left???
They take blood when you first go in, and then they just take and take and take more! No wonder your counts are low. They took it all in little vials to run tests.
But truly, the blood panels are important. There are two tests that I have had repeatedly already, and so I think it is a good idea to understand what on earth they’re testing for. The first is the CBC, or complete blood count, and differential with platelets. The second is the CMP or comprehensive metabolic panel.
Today we will focus on the CBC and diff w/platelets.
What is it? It’s what is sounds like, actually. It’s a test to determine information about your blood cells and platelets. The following is a list of what’s included in it and the ranges from my treatment facility. The ranges may vary slightly depending on where you are being treated unless it is something that all doctors agree on.
The components of the CBC include:
WBC - Stands for: White Blood Cells - Means: The measurement of the amount of the cells that are part of your immune system. Infections and some drugs can make your number of white blood cells go down. If they are too low, you are more at risk for infections and have a harder time fighting against infections. - Range: 4.2-10
RBC - Stands for: Red Blood Cells - Means: Cells that carry oxygen around your body and take carbon dioxide out of your body. They’re important. If you have too few, it is called anemia. Anemia can make you feel tired and weak. It is caused when you have low iron, which is directly related to the amount of hemoglobin in your red blood cells. - Range: 4.20-5.40
Hgb - Stands for: Hemoglobin - Means: The measurement of a protein that is produced in your bone marrow that is stored in red blood cells. It’s what helps you transport oxygen and carbon dioxide around your body and is the reason the cells are red. - Range: 12.0-16.0
HCT - Stands for: Hematocrit - Means: This is the measurement of how much of your blood is made up of red blood cells. If this goes too low, it could mean that you have low iron, which can lead to less red blood cells, leading to anemia. See how these things are related? - Range: 36.0-48.0
MCV - Stands for: Mean Corpuscular Volume - Means: The measurement of the actual size of the red blood cells. Measured in femtoliters per cell. Femtoliters are a metric unit of volume = to 10 to the -15 litres. If your red blood cells are too small, it could mean that you have... anemia. Or another deficiency. But basically anemia is what I care about. - Range: 81.0-101.0
MCH - Stands for: Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin - Means: The measurement of the average mass of hemoglobin per red blood cell. It will be lower if you have - wait for it! - anemia. - Range: 27.0-34.0
MCHC - Stands for: Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration - Means: The measurement of the average concentration of hemoglobin in a single red blood cell. To get this one, you can divide the hemoglobin by the hematocrit. Assumption: If it’s low? ANEMIA. - Range: 31.5-36.0
RDW - Stands for: Red blood cell Distribution Width - Means: This measures range of size of the red blood cells. If this one goes low? You’ll never guess what that could mean. Anemia - Range: 11.5-14.5
Platelet Count - Stands for: Uhm. Platelet Count. I’ll change that for the rest... - Means: The measurement of the number of platelets in the blood. Platelets are little helpers that help clot your blood. If you cut yourself, and your platelet count is low and you are anemic, you will bleed more. Good side effect: I won’t have to shave for the next six months! Bad side effect: I’ll lose all my hair anyway. Can’t win ‘em all. - Range: 140-440
Mean Platelet Volume - Means: The measurement of the average size of the platelets found in the blood. If they’re too small, indicates anemia. - Range: 7.0-12.0
Neutrophils - Means: A type of white blood cell that offers protection from infections and does other stuff too. But we care about infections. They are the first responders to a bacterial infection. They are heroes. - Range: 37.-73.0
Lymphocytes - Means: They are cells in the immune system that fight infection. Their home base in the lymph nodes, but they can range all over the body. - Range: 20.0-53.0
Monocytes - Means: They are leukocytes. Those are a white blood cells. They are the largest type and help in adaptive immunity. - Range: 2.5-12.0
Eosinophils - Means: Disease-fighting white blood cells. Think, like, ninja cells. They tend to congregate around an infection, allergic reaction, or cancer. Obviously, if you have this count high, you’d prefer it’s not the third option. I’m glad mine have been in the normal range so far. - Range: 0.5-10.0
Basophils - Means: White blood cells that are produced in the bone marrow and are part of your immune system. Low? Possible allergic reaction. High? Chronic inflammation or something bad. Bad being the medical term for “Something you don’t want to get.” - Range: 0.0-3.0
ABS Neutrophils - Stands for: Absolute Neutrophil Count. Means: A measure of the number of neutrophils in the blood, basically. I found them called neutrophil granulocytes or polymorphonuclear cells - we’ll just stick with the counting part. - Range: 1.40-6.50
ABS Lymphocytes - Means: A measure of the number of lymphocytes helping to fight disease in the body. - Range: 1.2-3.4
ABS Monocytes - Means: A measure of the number of monocytes. This one is interesting to me because it can be linked to lymphomas or leukemias. One of the very rare possible side effects is that Talazoparib, the drug I’ll be taking, can cause myeloid leukemia. That is a cancer of the blood and blood marrow. Best to avoid that if we can. - Range: 0.0-0.8
ABS Eosinophils - Means: The measure of the eosinophils in the blood. - Range: 0.0-0.7
ABS Basophils - Means: The measure of the number of basophils in the blood. - Range: 0.0-0.2
Currently all my numbers are within the normal ranges, but I haven’t started treatment yet.
Information above brought to you by many Google searches and several days because it was a lot to look up. I don’t want to give out bad information if I can avoid it.