Blasts

[sugarwhale]

Each time my mom visits the doctor, he takes a CBC with differential and a few other tests. We are given a copy of the blood tests. He says my mom has “only a few blasts.” I guess this is good, but I’d like to know how to read the information from the blood tests. The people here with MDS must know, since everyone seems to talk about it. What figures does one look at: hematocrit? MCHV? I don’t know what these things mean to someone with MDS–but I’d like to. Thanks so much!
~~~ Janet

[Neil]

Hi Janet,
Most of us focus on RBC,HGB,WBC, Platelets and blasts.
The following link will provide tons of info on blood cells, CBC, anemia and more.
http://web2.airmail.net/uthman/blood_cells.html

[lindajo]

There is another site that is easy to read. It is http://www.aplastic.org/aplastic/information_hope/resources_directory/

Then click on understanding your complete blood count.

[sugarwhale]

Dear Neil and Lindajo,
Thank you both so very much for responding. Neil, I read your Website completely. All I can find about measuring blasts is that it seems to be associated with increased MCV, but normal MCHC. I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand. Bear in mind that I got a D- in chemistry: I got THAT because the professor LIKED me! Is there some simple explanation of how to determine the number of blasts by reading the CBC report?
Lindajo, I thank you also. However, when I go to this Website, it just says “Page cannot be found.”
There just has to be an easy way! Thank you both!
~~~ Janet

[Neil]

Hi Janet,
You do not find blasts on a typical CBC.
The lab has to specifically examine the sample to determine blasts in the peripheral blood.
It takes a BMB to determine the blasts in the marrow

[lindajo]

Try going to http://www.aplastic.org click on information then click on resources directory. It is the second or third thing on the list. I just brought it up, so I don’t know why you weren’t able to get it. Perhaps I didn’t type the full direct address correctly.

I looked again and it works this way, but you are right when I click on what I wrote above the page doesn’t come up. See if you can tell me what I typed wrong. I am not seeing it.

[sugarwhale]

Dear Neil and Lindajo,
Thank you both again. Lindajo, I DID get that Website OK now. It’s a very helpful one. I think that Neil answered my question: You can’t get information about blasts from a regular CBC. I wonder what my doctor meant. Possibly he referred to my mom’s previous BMB where she had few if any blasts. Anyhow, I do thank you both.
~~~ Janet

[eve]

janet

the doctor was probably referring to the peripheral blood blasts – these can be detected when they do the differential of the cbc

eve

[uno grasshopper]

I also imagine the doc was referring to the peripheral blast count. You really should ask the doc to clarify what exactly he’s referring to, though, because technically blasts refer to immature cells–reds or whites. HOWEVER, when we are concerned about transitioning to leukemia, then usu. they are referring to blasts of the white cells. In that case you’d be looking at the differentials of the white cells, not the reds (the MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, etc. are all indictors of the red cells, not the whites). When they did a routine machine count of my CBC, the whites differentials were only broken down to neuts, lymps, and mid cells. The “mid cells” were the compilation of the other cells such as any eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, and any “blasts” that might have been picked up. So, basically, take a look at the white cell differentials and see how those are itemized. The normal stuff to see would be neuts, segs, eosin, baso, mono, and lymphs. If there’s anything else there under the white cell differentials, then those might be what your doc is looking at regarding blasts.

Hope this helps, take care,

Marla

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