Question

Chemotherapy for cancer results in a temporary reduction in the lymphocyte count. Give reason.

Answer 1

Cancer:

1. It is mostly due to genetic and environmental factors.
2. There are various types of cancer affecting various types of the body.
3. It is caused when the cells increase abnormally or unnaturally because of dividing.

Chemotherapy:

1. Chemotherapy is the mode of treatment in which medicines that can kill the cancer cells are administered to the patient.
2. These medicines target actively dividing cancer cells.
3. At the same time, they may also affect the normal cells in the blood, bone marrow, hair, nails, etc.

Chemotherapy for cancer results in a temporary reduction in the lymphocyte count because:

1. During treatment, as the bone marrow gets damaged, it is temporarily less able to produce enough blood cells.
2. Since the WBC count decreases due to this reason, the body becomes more vulnerable to infection.

Hence chemotherapy results in a temporary reduction in the lymphocyte count.