Neutropenia among Cancer Patients: Unravelling the Challenges and Complexities

Abstract

Neutropenia, a deficiency in neutrophils (vital immune system cells), significantly compromises the body's ability to fight infections. In about 50% of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, especially in leukemia cases, neutropenia elevates the risk of severe, life-threatening infections due to inadequate neutrophil levels for combating pathogens. Prolonged or intense neutropenia episodes heighten infection susceptibility. Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) can also cause lower chemotherapy doses and delays, which can make it harder to stick with treatment and could lower survival rates by making it harder to stick to chemotherapy schedules. CIN also adversely impacts the quality of life (QOL) and increases the risk of treatment failure. In addressing CIN, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has shown promising results in enhancing white blood cell counts as a supplementary treatment, outperforming conventional Western oral treatments in certain cases. However, managing neutropenia often involves an extensive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics , raising concerns over the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria strains. This underscores the importance of integrating antimicrobial stewardship programs into treatment protocols for cancer patients with neutropenia. The chapter delves into these aspects, exploring prevention and treatment strategies for neutropenia, particularly focusing on the implications of CIN.