Cancer cells pose a threat, so the immune system works to eliminate them. One of the steps is to produce more white blood cells. Eosinophils are white blood cells that eliminate threats and play a role in allergic reactions. In rare cases, they can themselves become cancerous.
“A complete blood count (CBC) with differential diagnosis will tell you the white blood cell count, including eosinophils,” he said. Kelly Rogers of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
What Are Eosinophils?
Eosinophils are granular white blood cells that help fight disease. They typically make up 1-4% of white blood cells and are especially helpful in fighting infections caused by parasites. But they also help fight viruses, fungi, bacteria, and cancer. They may also be involved in allergic reactions.
Eosinophils are produced in the bone marrow and released into the blood, and are also present in most body tissues, including the skin, stomach, fat, thymus, and lungs. Eosinophils play a variety of roles in our bodies, including regulating health and disease, said Monique Gary, M.D., breast surgeon and medical director of Grandview Health/Penn Cancer Network. “Eosinophils play a role in cancer, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, and more,” she added.
What Is The Normal Range of Eosinophils?
Understanding the normal, high, and low levels of eosinophils can tell you about your health. They are:
Normal Range
The normal range of eosinophils is between 0 to 500 cells per microliters or 1 to 4% of your white blood cell count.
Low Eosinophils
If the eosinophil count is 30 per microliter or too low, it is called eosinopenia. Other white blood cells also act as disease-fighting agents, so in most cases there are no symptoms. However, if symptoms persist, the risk of parasitic infection may increase.
High Eosinophils
If the eosinophil count is too high (more than 450 to 500 per microliter), he said, it indicates “a condition known as eosinophilia.” Rogers.
He said just seeing high levels of eosinophils in a routine blood test is not a cause for concern. Gary. “There are many possible reasons why a person’s test values may be elevated (allergies, chronic inflammatory diseases, acute illnesses, etc.). It means your immune system is working.”
“However, sustained high levels and symptoms such as fever, vomiting, rash, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and chronic cough should indicate the need for a thorough investigation and further evaluation,” he said.
What Elevates Eosinophils?
Several conditions and events can elevate eosinophils, including:
Parasitic infections
Eosinophils are specially equipped to fight parasite infections. Parasites like worms, lice and plasmodia can trigger an immune response, making your body produce more eosinophils.
Drug allergies
The drug can cause allergic reactions that increase eosinophils, including a serious condition known as DRESS syndrome (drug eruption with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms). DRESS syndrome can affect other organs such as the liver and lymph nodes. Drugs known to cause increased eosinophil counts include ibuprofen, antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins, anticonvulsants such as phenytoin, and antiretrovirals such as efavirenz and nevirapine.
What Level of Eosinophils Indicate Cancer?
“High eosinophil levels do not necessarily mean you have cancer,” he says. Rogers. There is no definitive eosinophil level that indicates cancer.
Eosinophils have a normal range (0 to 500 cells per microliter). If the levels are outside this range, your doctor will perform further tests to determine the cause. Remember: “Allergic reactions are the most common cause of eosinophilia,” said Dr. Rogers. Here are some ways eosinophils may be related to cancer.
Eosinophils and eosinophilic leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer of white blood cells. Increased eosinophils are an important feature of some types of leukemia, including chronic and acute eosinophilic leukemia, both of which are extremely rare diseases. However, eosinophils can also be increased in other types of blood cancers and lymph node cancers.
Eosinophils and colorectal cancer
One study found that having a large number of eosinophils near a colorectal tumor is a good sign and indicates that treatment is likely to be successful. This effect, called tumor-associated tissue eosinophilia, is also a good sign in cancers of the esophagus, prostate, larynx, and bladder.
