I had my three-month blood test and both my Hematocrit and MCV were slightly elevated -- not much -- but they were "bolded" and all I want to see is normal, boring numbers. Any idea what this might mean to some of you out there who know the medical world better than I or are nurses? I e-mailed my onc. (because I ask for all blood tests to be faxed to me) and she e-mailed me back and said simply to repeat the labs in one month without any explanation. Thanks for your help, Vicki

Hi Vicki,
I looked this up for you:


What does a high hematocrit mean?

Higher than normal hematocrit levels can be seen in people living at high altitudes and in smokers. Dehydration produces a falsely high hematocrit that disappears when proper fluid balance is restored. Some other infrequent causes are lung disease, certain tumors, a disorder of the bone marrow known as polycythemia rubra vera, and abuse of the drug erythropoietin (Epogen) by athletes for blood doping purposes.


Also, values within 10% of normal are also suspect. If it is "slightly high, I wouldn;t worry about it. It could be an anomoly, the testing, etc. Wait to be re-tested and try not to worry.

Regards,
Al

Vicki,
Al did a good job explaining it. It really doesn't have anything to do with cancer at all. I would not worry at all about it! These numbers are bolded alot on our "normal" patients all the time.

I love you Al and Michele -- thanks for the fantastic explanation, Al, and both of you for putting me back in the "do not worry" frame of mind. Love and hugs, Vicki