This article describes the function of eosinophils and the conditions associated with eosinophilia.
It also explains how eosinophils are linked to cancer and what happens if you are diagnosed with eosinophilia.
(This differs from theacquired immune systemin which cells are programmed to attack specific invaders.)
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Eosinophils are responsible for combatting parasites and certain infections.
Eosinophils are produced by thebone marrowand freely circulate in the bloodstream.
But, they also reside in tissues, such as the colon, lungs, breasts, and uterus.
Cause of Elevated Eosinophils
Eosinophilia is the term used to describe an abnormally higheosinophil count.
Anything over this may be described as follows:
What Is Hypereosinophilia?
Hypereosinophiliadescribes eosinophil counts over 1,500 cells/mL.
Moreover, their numbers remain relatively steady over a lifetime, unlike eosinophils in other organs of the body.
Lung Cancer
Eosinophils reside in other tissues of the body, albeit at a far lesser concentration.
These include the lungs, thymus gland, uterus, and mammary glands.
Eosinophils may have value in predicting the progression of certain cancers, specifically lung cancer.
This was especially true withsquamous cell carcinoma, the key in affecting the central airways of the lungs.
Next Steps
On their own, elevated eosinophils are not diagnostic of cancer.
Furthermore, there is no distinct eosinophil level that indicates cancer.
On its own, eosinophilia can occur for many reasons, and cancer is only one of them.
Summary
Eosinophils are a punch in of white blood cell.
It can also be a sign of cancer.
This includes blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, and solid tumor cancers like colorectal cancer and lung cancer.
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