Low White Blood Cell Counts

Find out what to expect with DOXIL®

DOXIL®, like other chemotherapy treatments, can lower white blood cell (WBC) counts. Changes in white blood cell counts are generally moderate and reversible in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer treated with DOXIL®. In some patients, white blood cell counts may be severely lowered (neutropenia). This can lead to fever and infections.

Your doctor will check your white blood cell counts regularly and may adjust your treatment.

Tell your doctor or nurse if you have a fever of 100.5°F or higher at any time while you are being treated with DOXIL®.

In the randomized study, anemia was the most common hematologic adverse reaction (40.2%), followed by leukopenia (WBC <4,000 mm³; 36.8%), neutropenia (ANC <1,000; 35.1%), and thrombocytopenia (13.0%).

Management tips

White blood cells help fight infection in your body. So it is extremely important for people with low white blood cell counts to avoid infection. The following tips may help you do that. Talk with your doctor or nurse about which of the tips below may be best for you. Check with them to see if there is anything else you should watch for.

  • Do
  • Avoid
  • Make sure to ask your doctor or nurse

Do

  • Wash your hands often throughout the day, especially before eating and after using the bathroom
  • Wipe gently but thoroughly after each bowel movement
  • Be careful with scissors, knives, pins, tools, and any other objects that could cause a cut or break in the skin
  • Use an electric shaver instead of a razor
  • Clean any cuts or scrapes right away with soap, warm water, and an antiseptic
  • Use an extra soft toothbrush and talk to your doctor or nurse about whether you should use dental floss
  • Take a shower, bath, or sponge bath every day; gently pat yourself dry
  • Use lotion or oil to help soften and heal dry or cracked skin
  • Wear protective gloves if you do any gardening or clean up after animals or other people (especially children)

Avoid

  • Places where there may be large crowds
  • Anyone who has a cold or who has recently gotten a vaccination for an illness that can be contagious, such as the flu, measles, or chickenpox
  • Getting cuts on your skin
  • Before you have any shots (vaccinations) to protect you against any illnesses
  • What vaccinations to be careful about and how long you should avoid people who have received them
  • For advice if you have hemorrhoids or if the area becomes irritated
  • Before using enemas or suppositories