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By My Side™ Cancer Treatment Chemotherapy Guide - protect against infection
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Find out more about chemotherapy and different side effects associated with chemotherapy...
 
Protecting Against Infection
 
Infections can start in almost any part of your body, including your mouth, skin, lungs, urinary tract, colon, rectum, and reproductive tract. Treatment is usually antibiotics; hospitalization may be necessary. In fact, if your body can't fight infections, a simple bacterial infection, such as a sinus infection, can be life-threatening and require hospitalization.3

Making your chemotherapy as effective, fast, and problem-free as possible

Infections can force a change in or delay of your chemotherapy treatment.3-5 In fact, the most common cause of dose reduction or delay in chemotherapy is infection.3 If a low white blood cell count or infection forces a reduction in your dose or delay a cycle of treatment, your chemotherapy may take longer than planned, causing unnecessary disappointment, anxiety, and possibly inconvenience for you and your family. Delays and dose reductions also can make your chemotherapy less effective. Studies show that, for certain types of cancer, chemotherapy produces the best long-term results when patients receive their full dose with every dose, on time every time.12-15

Seeing your blood counts improve

While you're receiving chemotherapy, your doctor will order tests on a regular basis to check your complete blood count (CBC). At office visits, your nurse will measure the level of your neutrophils (the infection-fighting white blood cells), hemoglobin (hee-mo-glow-bin, the oxygen-carrying protein of red blood cells, measured in weight), hematocrit (hee-mat-uh-krit, the percentage of the blood made up of red blood cells), and platelets (the cells that help stop bleeding). These numbers tell your health care team your risk for side effects such as infection, anemia, or bleeding.

An improvement in your white blood count (WBC) shows that Neulasta® is doing its job, producing infection-fighting white blood cells, protecting you against infection, and helping you stay on schedule with your chemotherapy—with the right dose at the right time, according to your treatment plan.

 
 

Neulasta® (pegfilgrastim) is prescribed to reduce the risk of infection (initially marked by fever) in patients with some tumors receiving strong chemotherapy that decreases the number of infection-fighting white blood cells.

Important product safety information
Ruptured spleen (including fatal cases), serious allergic reactions, and a serious lung problem called acute respiratory distress syndrome have been reported. Call your doctor or seek emergency care right away if you have abdominal or shoulder tip pain, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, a fast rate of breathing, or any allergic reaction. The most common side effect of this injection is mild to moderate bone pain. If you have any questions about this information, be sure to discuss them with your doctor. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

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