Find out more about growth factors

We have recently revised our web page on growth factors. Growth factors are chemical messengers (hormones) that encourage cells to divide and develop. There are different growth factors that affect different types of cells. Your body makes growth factors naturally. Growth factors can also be made in the lab and these can be used as medicines to boost the production of new blood cells.

People who have lymphoma might need growth factors to help treat low blood counts. There are three main types of cells in our blood; red cells, white cells and platelets. Different growth factors are used depending on which blood cell types are low.

- For low white blood cells (neutropenia), a growth factor called granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) can tell your bone marrow to make more white      blood cells. It also encourages stem cells (undeveloped cells that can divide and mature into all the types of blood cell your body needs) to move from your        bone marrow into your bloodstream.
- For low red blood cells (anaemia), a growth factor called erythropoietin (EPO) can be used to tell your bone marrow to make more red blood cells.
- For low platelets (thrombocytopenia), a growth factor called thrombopoietin (TPO) can be used to tell your bone marrow to make more platelets.

Find out more about growth factors in our revised information. You can discover what they are, why someone with lymphoma might be given them, the different types of growth factors and how you are given.  

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Lymphoma Action medical information pages and books are revised every three years or sooner if treatments change. We are committed to providing high quality information which is evidence-based, approved by experts and reviewed by users. By keeping up-to-date with latest developments, we ensure that our information stays relevant and reflects current practice. We are proud to be PIF TICK accredited, a UK-wide quality mark for health information.