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HGB drop
Hi Ziad,
It is true that increasing blasts isn't a positive sign but as you perhaps know your father has not leukemia when his blast cells are less than 20%.
When his HGB was 11.5 he perhaps was dehydrated - he can have been drinking too little. Then the blood is concentrated and the HGB higher. It is important to drink enough in order to help the kidneys to get rid of toxic products from the blood.
Another explanation is that he has hemolysis - the red blood cells burst too early. A normal red blood cell lives about 120 days but many of us have blood cells that don't live that long and transfused cells never live 120 days.
There is no fast cure for his symptoms. Revlimid + Prednisone work fast - within weeks - but will probably decrease his platelets. Vidaza and Dacogen often decreases all counts initially and a positive response can take up to 6 months.
Supportive therapy - that he already receives - with blood and hopefully platelet transfusions and Neupogen injections or similar drugs for white blood cells. Look out for infections that can decrease all counts!
Kind regards
Birgitta-A
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