Elevated WBC Count, Low Haemoglobin, Epstein Barr Reactivated. Taken Antibiotics. Reliant On Catheters. Is It Cancer?

Posted on Fri, 5 Apr 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 6 Apr 2013 Answered on

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My daughter has an elevated white blood count and Hematocrit with low hemoglobin. Her Epstein Barr is Reactivated and she has solid lymph nodes on the right side. Neck, armpit and groin. She has been on numerous meds including antibiotics for about 18 months due to a neurogenic bladder and is reliant on catheters. Was to see an oncologist today but he ordered a biopsy first. Is there anything it can be that is not cancer

Answered by Dr. Dr.Raju.A.T (9 hours later)

Hi,

Thanks for your query.

Elevated WBC count could probably be due to recurrent infections which is a common presentation in people on catheter.

EBV (lymph nodes at multiple sites do make one suspicious about a lymphoma. The only and easy way to rule out cancer would be by a FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology) or a Biopsy of a lymphnode.

If there is associated weight loss of loss of appetite then the chances of cancer are more.

I would consider the only way to determine the diagnosis is with the biopsy report, do wait for them and get back to me with the results. We shall then have a discussion over the same.

Hope, I was of some help.

Please let me know if there are any other concerns.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar