Neutropenia and Cancer
Neutropenia is a decrease in counts of neutrophilic granulocytes in the peripheral blood. Neutropenia affects more than one in three patients receiving chemotherapy for cancer. Chemotherapy works by acting mainly on rapidly dividing cells.

Patients with neutropenia can develop fever and have increased risk for infections. Life-threatening gastrointestinal and pulmonary infections occur, as does sepsis. Another undesired effect is that a subsequent cycle of chemotherapy may have to be delayed until the patient has recovered from neutropenia.