• Nadir – Nadir is the lowest point to which blood counts drop after chemotherapy. When referring to the nadir, doctors are usually referring to the nadir of a patient’s white blood cell count, which usually occurs about 7 to 10 days after receiving chemotherapy.
  • Neoplasm – An abnormal growth of tissues from a single cell. A neoplasm can be cancerous or noncancerous. Cancer is sometimes called a malignant neoplasm.
  • Neutropenia – Neutropenia occurs if there is a lower-than-normal number of neutrophils (infection-fighting white blood cells) in the blood. It is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatment. Neutrophils fight infection, so a person with a low neutrophil count will be more at risk for developing infection. Doctors check the number of neutrophils when they measure the white blood cell count; the result is often referred to as the ANC, or absolute neutrophil count.
  • Neutrophil – The most common type of white blood cell. Neutrophils help the body fight infection. Since the most common type of white blood cell is the neutrophil, a It white blood cell count usually indicates that the neutrophil count is low. It is easier to get an infection and harder to recover from an infection when the number of neutrophils in the bloodstream is low.