18,000 white blood cell count leukemia

18,000 white blood cell count leukemia

One of the possible causes of increased white blood cells is leukemia, which is a broad term for cancers of the blood cells. The type of leukemia depends on the type of blood cell that becomes cancer and whether it grows quickly or slowly (4) if you think about the ” 18,000 white blood cell count leukemia ” we in this article, talk about it.

At diagnosis, patients with leukemia can have extremely high white blood cell counts; even reaching into the 100,000 to 400,000 range. 18,000 WBC is also higher than normal and may indicate leukemia, but it can be caused by other factors too. So there is no certainty (5).

If you already know you have leukemia, the interpretation of this number (18000) depends on previous tests. A decrease in the WBC count indicates that you’re fortunately responding to treatment. However, a rising number may be an early sign of relapse (5).

* You can enter your lab test results online and get a personalized interpretation, including your condition in each test, definition, reasons for increased or decreased results, dietary and lifestyle recommendations, potential treatments, drug interactions, etc.

White blood cells (WBC)

White blood cells (WBC), or leukocytes, are part of the immune system, participating in both the innate and humoral immune responses. They circulate in the blood and mount inflammatory and cellular responses to injury or pathogens (1).

A complete blood count (CBC) is usually performed to check the white blood cell count. Its normal range varies from person to person, depending on age and gender:

· Newborn Infant                                     13,000–38,000 per μL

· 2-week-old infant                                  5,000–20,000

· Adult                                                        4,500–11,000

During pregnancy, there is a gradual increase in the normal WBC count. For instance, it’s around 5,800 to 13,200 mm3 in the third trimester (2).

High white blood cell count

Leukocytosis is the medical term used to describe a high WBC count. This can be triggered by:

– infections such as tuberculosis, sepsis, or septic shock

– fever

– injury or burn

– pregnancy

– allergies

– asthma

– a recent vaccination

– some medications, such as corticosteroids, epinephrine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs

– stress

– tissue damage

– acute hemolysis

– hemorrhage

– leukemoid reaction

– heart attack

– surgery (3)

The doctor may run additional tests to determine the cause of your abnormal leukocyte count.

 References:

1. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563148/
2. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2015/1201/p1004.html?_ga=2.235351745.1388295472.1577058547-660305364.1508107192#afp20151201p1004-t1
3. https://www.healthline.com/health/wbc-count#high-and-low-wbc-count
4. https://www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia#:~:text=Leukemia%20is%20a%20broad%20term,in%20children%20younger%20than%2015.
5. https://www.healthline.com/health/leukemia/leukemia-white-blood-cell-count-range#outlook