Monday, October 29, 2007

My mother has lung cancer, small cell. She is receiving chemo. However, lately she has been experiencing low platelets. She is now in the hospital receiving platelets, but her number does not seem to go up. Her last blood test showed 7,000. Why wouldn't her platelets rise after transfusions?

Platelet transfusions are like any other transfusion, in that the body can become sensitized to these foreign "cells," and the immune system is very effective at eliminating them. Such patients are often described by doctors as transfusion resistant, and this is a very common outcome after multiple platelet transfusions. Sometimes this occurs because of antibodies made by the immune system, which attack one's own platelets as well.

Learn more amout small cell lung cancer treatment in the Everyday Health Lung Cancer Center.