Low Blood Counts and Spleen

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
Pita
Posts: 637
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: So Calif

Low Blood Counts and Spleen

Postby Pita » Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:18 pm

Haven't been here in ages, guess you can say I've been in a cocoon and I apologize for that, feel like I've deserted good friends and not helped others, but I do come and read everyday and try and keep up on everyone.
Tried to get into a clinical trial NCT02959437 at the City of Hope Cancer Center in CA but didn't pass the screening.

I had rectal cancer (tumor removed) with 6 mets to my lungs, have been off chemo (Folfuri and Avastin) since March 14 getting ready to screen for the trial after 28 days. First set of labs showed WBC=1.8 and Platelets=55k. Waited one week and did labs again WBC=3.8 and Platelets=61k, not enough to get into the trial or have chemo (very scary). :shock:
Met with the top Oncologists at City of Hope and they all agreed that the only thing that could help would be killing off part of my spleen. I was not aware what the purpose of the spleen is but now I know, "The spleen plays multiple supporting roles in the body. It acts as a filter for blood as part of the immune system. Old red blood cells are recycled in the spleen, and platelets and white blood cells are stored there. The spleen also helps fight certain kinds of bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis."
For some unknown reason my platelets are not releasing, could be too much chemo still in my body or my spleen is old like me, :roll: they don't know the reason.
Very lucky to have an amazing team and I will have splenic embolization by an Interventional Radiologist Monday morning so I can get back on chemo as soon as possible and then find a trial. They will insert micro beads in some of the veins to the spleen to block blood off to 50-70% of the spleen. Will be getting a platelet transfusion and everything should start moving around.
Have to spend one night in the hospital and will go home with a pain pump/Dilaudid and antibiotics. Also received a pneumococcal vaccine PPSV23/PCV13 today.
I hope I've enlightened some of you who don't know what your spleen is for and what to do if your counts drop and won't raise by themselves. oxo
70yo Fem DX: 1/21/2016 RC Stage IV-Nodules lungs
MSS-Kras Wild-Lynch Synd Neg-Lung Biopsy 1/27/16-Port 2/19/16
MRI 7/7/16 Endometrial polyp found, watching LAR 7/19/16, No Ileostomy, Stage ypT3 N1
CT 11/7/16: Most mets stable,1 shrunk,1 new??
CEA Tests: 1/21/16=20, 12/22/16=5.3, 1/20/17=4.8, 2/15/17=6.2
9/20/16-1/24/17 Folfuri & Avastin
#10/10 Done
PET/CT 2/10/16-1/31/17=Some shrunk & growth to 2, Avastin failing ??? :evil:
2/21/17 Folfuri & Avastin

DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3816
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Low Blood Counts and Spleen

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Sat Apr 15, 2017 12:45 pm

I hope your procedure on Monday goes well!*hugs*
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)

stu
Posts: 1613
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 5:46 pm

Re: Low Blood Counts and Spleen

Postby stu » Sat Apr 15, 2017 5:32 pm

Hi,
Very interesting and I wish you well . My mum's platelets have sat around 55 since her liver resection six years ago. Some people have reported similar but I guess the chemo could have had a hand in it as well. She has had one surgery since then but no treatment. It must have become her new normal along the way as it does not seem to affect her and she is very well. The trouble will be if she requires more treatment. I doubt she would do chemo again but you never know. It's good to have more information and it does not sound too invasive. All the very best getting into a trial.
Kind regards,
Stu
supporter to my mum who lives a great life despite a difficult diagnosis
stage4 2009 significant spread to liver
2010 colon /liver resection
chemo following recurrence
73% of liver removed
enjoying life treatment free
2016 lung resection
Oct 2017 nice clear scan . Two lung nodules disappeared
Oct 2018. Another clear scan .

BUD2016
Posts: 60
Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2016 3:25 pm

Re: Low Blood Counts and Spleen

Postby BUD2016 » Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:14 pm

Hi Pita,

good to hear from you and to read your update.

My mom's platelets have been 73 before 9th treatment, 62 before 10th and 63 before 11th last week. They discontinued oxi after 9th due to severe reaction and she continues with 5 FU and Avastin. WBC remain stable at 4,07. We are facing a bit of a challenge with CEA spike (it doubled), however, C199 and other markers are more or less the same (C199 remains at 5). Next scan in first week of May.

My mom's lowest platelets have been 59 on March 1st and they still went ahead with Oxi, etc.

I read on this forum a post from one user from several years ago that sesame oil helped with platelets. My mom takes it from March 1st and I think it helped a bit. Two spoons a day. I tried it and it tastes awful, but well...

Best wishes to you.
09/2016: Mom dx/rectal cancer
10/2016: Open surgery. T3N0/Grade 2
11/2016: PET/CT scan shows 5 liver mets in both lobes
11/2016: FOLFOX + Avastin started on her 71st birthday
KRAS gen 2 G13D mutant, BRAF Negative, MSS
03/2017: Oxi stopped after 9th tx, 5FU cntd. CT scans w/ contrast every 2 months - small shrinkage/stable
05/2017: PET/CT progression, started FOLFIRI + AVASTIN
07/2017: MRIs/CT stable
09/2017: MRIs/CT - min progression
09/2017: FOLFIRI + CYRAMZA
11/2017: left us

User avatar
LPL
Posts: 651
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:49 am
Location: Europe

Re: Low Blood Counts and Spleen

Postby LPL » Thu May 25, 2017 12:36 pm

Hi Pita,
Thank you for posting this, that I found when I was looking back on posts I had missed. Never heard about it before.
Can you share if it has 'helped your platelets' after having this treatment?
I tried to read a little and found this article, is that the procedure you have done?https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5083724/
Kind Regards /L
DH @ 65 DX 4/11/16 CC recto-sigmoid junction
Adenocarcenoma 35x15x9mm G3(biopsi) G1(surgical)
Mets 3 Liver resectable
T4aN1bM1a IVa 2/9 LN
MSS, KRAS-mut G13D
CEA & CA19-9: 5/18 2.5 78 8/17 1.4 48 2/14/17 1.8 29
4 Folfox 6/15-7/30 (b4 liver surgery) 8 after
CT: 8/8 no change 3/27/17 NED->Jan-19 mets to lung NED again Oct-19 :)
:!: Steroid induced hyperglycemia dx after 3chemo
Surgeries 2016: 3/18 Emergency colostomy
5/23 Primary+gallbl+stoma reversal+port 9/1 Liver mets
RFA 2019: Feb & Oct lung mets

DebZ
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:01 pm
Facebook Username: Bulc

Re: Low Blood Counts and Spleen

Postby DebZ » Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:43 pm

PITA, hoping you can update on how this procedure went. My oncologist talked about me having this done. The only reason I knew what he was talking about was remembering this post.
48 @ diagnosis Sept 2014
MSS; Kras mutant G12D
Oct 2014: right hemicolectomy
Dec 2014-May 2015: Folfox
June 2015: clean scans
Sept 2015: scans reveal ovarian mass and liver met; Folfiri
Jan 2016: liver wedge resection and hysterectomy
April 2016: multiple lung mets; Folfiri+Avastin
June 2017: lung mets growing; switch to Folfox+Avastin
Jan-April 2018: dropped oxali; CEA rising
May 2018: back on Folfox+Avastin, add pulse steroid treatment to get platelet count up (continuously in 50s)


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 107 guests