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Fever
Hi Joan,
Fever during the night can depend on that the so called cytokines are more active when we sleep. Cancer cells can spontaneously produce cytokines, small proteins with multiple biological properties. Some cytokines released by cancer cells are "pyrogenic", they produce fever directly by their action on the hypothalamus, which is involved in regulating body temperature. Then the fever isn´t a reason to worry.
If your husband has an infection you should worry. I understand that his WBC:s including the neutrophils are OK and then this info from a MDS-site perhaps isn´t relevant.
“For aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes and PNH patients, there is no absolute number at which an elevated temperature becomes critical. The most important issues are:
what is your absolute neutrophil count?
what is your absolute lymphocyte count?
do you have a central line or some other "foreign body" in you?
are you having symptoms (chills, low blood pressure, sweating, rapid breathing)?
do you have a source for infection on your physical examination?
Persistent fever should be considered to be an indication of infection until proven otherwise. Indwelling cathers can often be a source of asymptomatic infection. A diligent search for infection should be undertaken. Occasionally fevers can be associated with disease progression to acute leukemia. Fever can also follow transfusions.”
Kind regards
Birgitta-A
68 yo, MDS Interm-1 dx May 2006, transfusion dependent, Desferal 4 days after transfusion every 6th week, Neupogen 2 injections/week, asymptomatic
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