Question

Cancer chemotherapy is designed to destroy cancer cells, but adversely affects healthy tissues as well; thus, the oncologist has the difficult task of killing the cancer without killing the patient. What side effects are expected from destruction of blood cells? (Identify physiological systems that might be effected). How might the body respond? (form your answer in this format: system effected - effect - response)

Please help :) thank you

Answer 1

System affected - hemotological system and immune system.

Effect- Chemotherapy drug kill activity dividing cells. In the hemotological system of the body, the cells in the bone marrow are actively dividing.

• In the bone marrow all the cell line that form the normal constituents of blood are formed
• The hemocytoblast also know as the multmultipotent hematopoietic stem cell gives rise to the common myeloid progenitor and the common lymphoma progenitor.
• The common myeloid progenitor gives rise to
  • Platelets
  • Red blood cells
  • Mast cells
  • Basophils
  • Eosinophil
  • Neutrophils
  • Monocytes
  • Macrophages
• The common lymphoid progenitor gives rise to
  • Natural killer cells
  • Small lymphocytes
  • Large lymhocyte
• Therefore chemotherapy drugs will have the following effects
  • Anemia due to low red blood cell count
  • Leucopenia
  • Lymphopenia ( low lymphocyte count)
  • Thrombocytopenia ( low platelet count)
• Low RBC will causes anemia. Anemia is reduced oxygen carrying capacity of blood. As a result, the patient's exercise tolerance reduces and the patient feels extremely tired
• Leucopenia - patient has reduced immunity against bacteria. Therefore, more likely to develop pyogenic infections
• Lymphopenia- lymphocyte are a part of the body's immune system. Lack lymphocyte reduces the patient immunity.
  • The patient becomes susceptible to viral, bacterial and fungal infection.
• Low platelet count interferes with the body's capacity to stop bleed.

Response- the body responds by increasing the cell division and thus cell production. However, this dependent on the number of stem cell alive after chemotherapy. If the number of stem cells is low, the body will not be able to recover the lost cells.