A high white blood cell count could signal certain types of cancer, such as leukemia or lymphoma, but it more often is a sign of inflammation or infection.
Some cancer treatments, mainly chemotherapy, can lower your white blood cell count. Cancers that affect the blood can also lower white blood cell count. These types of cancers include leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. High and low results in the white blood cell differential.
Leukemia, a type of cancer found in your blood and bone marrow, is caused by the rapid production of abnormal white blood cells. The high number of abnormal white blood cells are not able to fight infection, and they impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells and platelets.
On its own, leukocytosis is usually not harmful. An abnormally raised white blood cell count is not a disease condition, but can point to another underlying cause such as infection, cancer or autoimmune disorders. An abnormally high white blood cell count should always be considered for its possible causes.
Leukapheresis is a way of removing abnormal white blood cells from the blood. You might have this treatment if you have a very high white blood cell count. Very high numbers of leukaemia cells in the blood can cause problems with normal circulation.
Blood cancers affect the production and function of blood cells. There are 3 main groups - leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Produced in your bone marrow, they defend your body against infections and disease. But, when there are too many white blood cells, it usually means you have infection or inflammation in your body. Less commonly, a high white blood cell count could indicate certain blood cancers or bone marrow disorders.
Aside from leukemia, most cancers cannot be detected in routine blood work, such as a CBC test. However, specific blood tests are designed to identify tumor markers, which are chemicals and proteins that may be found in the blood in higher quantities than normal when cancer is present.
Blood tests can: check your general health, including how well your liver and kidneys are working. check numbers of blood cells. help diagnose cancer and other conditions.
A normal white blood cell count is between 4,000 and 10,000. A normal white blood cell count for patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy is 3,000 to 4,000.
In general, for adults a count of more than 11,000 white blood cells in a microliter of blood is considered high.
Acute emotional or physical stress can increase WBC counts. There are various types of white blood cells (WBCs) that normally appear in the blood: Neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes; PMNs)
Normal Results
The normal number of WBCs in the blood is 4,500 to 11,000 WBCs per microliter (4.5 to 11.0 × 109/L). Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different labs. Some labs use different measurements or may test different specimens.
Chronic Leukemia May Go Undetected
Unlike acute leukemia, chronic leukemia develops slowly. It may take months or even several years before the disease begins to cause symptoms that alert the patient that something is wrong.
When a high white blood cell count is not caused by general infections and immune system malfunctions or responses, it may be an indication of a more specific issue or condition, such as: Acute lymphocytic leukemia. Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) Allergy, especially severe allergic reactions.
Avoid foods rich in sugar, fat and salt. You can replace them with any food that lowers inflammation to reduce white blood cell count, like grapes, garlic, spices, nuts, soy protein, vinegar, and black and green teas.
Urgent referral for suspected cancer
An urgent referral can be worrying. But remember that more than 9 in every 10 people (more than 90%) referred this way will not have a diagnosis of cancer. In England, an urgent referral means that you should see a specialist within 2 weeks.