i have been for my 4th chemo session but was told they wouldnt give it today as my white cells were borderline they are now going to try

[nikki9]

next monday, will things improve by next monday i wasnt given any treatment, and does this happen very often.

[Hidden]

I think it happens all the time! I was told to expect it, and was nearly held up for my last cycle, but they decided to go ahead. I expect things will be different next Monday. The problem is that chemo cannot discriminate between the cancer cells and the healthy ones, so they all get killed off. Later on in your series of cycles the cumulative effect is more likely to cause this need to wait for the next cycle. I was warned not to book a holiday to celebrate the end of chemo (apparently many do), as the chances are high that the last cycle will need to be delayed.

Good luck!

Isadora.

[trolleydollyuk]

happened to me a couple of times and chemo was delayed for a week each time. Don't think this had any ill afect on treatment as I am fine now. However when i was under treatment I found the last few cycles of chemo a lot tougher, like Isadora says must be the cumulative affects. Hope all goes well for you

[PatsyH]

Hi Nikki

Exactly the same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. In fact, my second chemo session was delayed twice because of a low blood cell count and I began to get really worried. I was re-assured both by other members of this site, and my chemo nurses, and I now know it IS very common and I was also assured it would not affect the efficacy of the treatment at all. However, as this is the third time over seven years that I have had to have a course of chemo, without ever encountering this delay in the past, it is thought that this time my body is having a bit of a gripe about yet another chemo onslaught. As a result I am now having to have five daily injections 8 days after each chemo to boost my bone marrow, which is what produces new and healthy blood cells. I do them myself and it's a doddle.

But I expect your cells will now have had the extra bit of time they needed to get up to scratch and your next chemo will go ahead as planned.

Best of luck

Patsy