Cancer - Neutropenia
Nutrition Care Process (Toolkits)
Last Updated: 2021-05-04
Target Group: All Adults, All children(0-12 yr.), Youth(13-17 yr.)
Summary of Recommendations and Evidence
Neutrophils (also known as granulocytes) are white blood cells that primarily fight infection by destroying bacteria and fungi (1). Neutropenia occurs in cancer patients due to their disease (i.e. especially blood cancers and metastatic cancers) or treatment (i.e. chemotherapy, radiation or bone marrow transplant).
Cancer patients with neutropenia have fewer white blood cells and can be more at risk for illness and death from infections that would easily be handled by a healthy immune