absolute neutrophil count (ANC), the number of neutrophils in a milliliter of blood. The ANC is a measure of a person’s immune status. Generally, if the count is above 1000, the person may safely mingle with other people or undergo chemotherapy, but a count below 500 indicates that a person is at high risk for infection and should be kept away from those with infectious diseases. Neutropenia by definition is an ANC below 1500/mm3. It is calculated by adding the number of segmented neutrophils and the number of basal neutrophils and multiplying the sum by the total white blood cell (WBC) count. The formula is ANC = Total WBC count × (% neutrophils + % bands)/100. Also called absolute granulocyte count (AGC).
