What’s the Link Between Chemo and Your Immune System?

What is the link between chemo and your immune system? Chemotherapy is a treatment used to destroy cancerous cells, however the drugs used do not always differentiate between cancerous cells and healthy cells, including those produced by your immune system. If you are undergoing chemo your doctor will urge you to take certain precautions, and may recommend an immune system modulator to build a stronger immune system. Chemo is necessary to destroy the cancer cells so the disease does not spread or get worse, but these drugs do a lot of damage to your immune cells and other healthy tissue at the same time. Not receiving the chemo can be fatal, so instead you must make sure to keep your body as strong and healthy as possible while the chemo drugs do their destruction.

If you are receiving chemo and your immune system drops too low then your doctor may prescribe certain medications to help resolve this problem. In between the treatments you will usually see a very low point with your white blood cells and other immune system cells. During the low point you are much more susceptible to viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, because your body can not fight off these microorganism very effectively. Chemo and your immune system effectiveness are related, and chemo will lower your ability to fight off health problems and pathogens. In some cases severe infections that can be life threatening, and even fatal, can occur because of a lowered immune function and cell production. If you are receiving chemo make sure to keep all tests and appointments, because your immune cells must be monitored.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.