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How does Chemotherapy affect your immune system?

I remember hearing that it destroys your immune system which is why you have to protect yourself against infection. I am wondering what it will actually do to your immune system. Will it kill all of your white blood cells? Or most of them at least?

Public Comments

1. Chemotherapy causes cell death and prevents cell growth and division. It attacks rapidly proliforating cells first. Usually this includes: white blood cells, red blood cells, hair cells, stomach cells and reproductive cells. This side effect has been dealt with by using GM-CSF or Granulocyte - macrophage colony stimulating factors, brought to you by the people who painstakingly sequence DNA (pat pat pat) There are other hormonal stimulating factors that are given to people on Chemo that makes their life tolerable, but if you use it before La Tour De France, you'll get caught, so don't do it Lance..
2. Chemotherapy circulates throughout the body. It affects the 'factory' that makes blood cells. Chemotherapy affects any cells that are growing or actively functioning. Your immune cells, your red blood cells, and your clotting cells (called platelets) are all sensitive to chemotherapy. That is why your blood count drops after you receive such treatment. The good news is that your body is capable of producing new blood cells every day, so your body is able to replenish these cells. But it takes time to do that. All chemotherapy agents are different, but nearly all kill your white blood cells as well as their source ....lymph nodes & bone marrow. If not properly dosed, Chemo can wipe out both all white & red blood cells. After initial dosing, they give you a rest...this is a period given to build up white & red blood cells. Typically during Chemo administration, doctors do not want your white blood count to go below 4,000.