Final answer:
A WBC drop from chemotherapy typically occurs 7 to 14 days after treatment. If a patient's neutrophil count is 1900 cells per microliter, the healthcare team is usually likely to proceed with chemotherapy as this count suggests a lower risk of infection and complications.
Step-by-step explanation:
A WBC drop from chemotherapy treatment may not occur until 7 to 14 days after treatment. This is because chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells, which include both cancer cells and some healthy cells such as those in the bone marrow that produce white blood cells (WBCs), specifically leukocytes like neutrophils. The life cycle of these cells means that the impact on WBC counts is not immediate, but the reduction becomes apparent several days after treatment as the cells that were in the process of being formed at the time of chemotherapy are affected.
Regarding the absolute neutrophil count (ANC), generally, if a patient has an ANC of 1900 cells per microliter, the healthcare team is likely to proceed with chemotherapy because this count is above the typical threshold of concern, which is an ANC less than 1500 cells per microliter, indicating neutropenia. This is because a count within this range is considered safe enough to handle the additional stress of chemotherapy without putting the patient at too high of a risk for infection or other complications associated with a low neutrophil count.