Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a condition in which the bone marrow produces too many platelets. Platelets are a part of the blood that aids in blood clotting.
Primary thrombocythemia; Essential thrombocytosis
ET results from an overproduction of platelets. As these platelets do not work normally, blood clots and bleeding are common problems. Untreated, ET worsens over time.
ET is part of a group of conditions known as myeloproliferative disorders. Others include:
Many people with ET have a mutation of a gene (JAK2, CALR, or MPL).
ET is most common in middle-aged people. It can also be seen in younger people, especially women under age 40.
Symptoms may include any of the following:
If bleeding is a problem, symptoms may include any of the following:
If you have life-threatening complications, you may have a treatment called platelet pheresis. It quickly reduces platelets in the blood.
Long-term, medicines are used to decrease the platelet count to avoid complications. The most common medicines used include hydroxyurea, interferon-alpha, or anagrelide.
Aspirin at a low dose (81 to 100 mg per day) may decrease clotting episodes.
Many people do not need any treatment, but they must be followed closely by their provider.
Srdan Verstovsek is an Oncologist and a Hematologist Oncology expert in Houston, Texas. Verstovsek has been practicing medicine for over 31 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Essential Thrombocythemia. He is also highly rated in 32 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Myelofibrosis, Essential Thrombocythemia, Polycythemia Vera, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Bone Marrow Aspiration. He is licensed to treat patients in Texas. Verstovsek is currently accepting new patients.
Ruben Mesa is an Oncologist and a Hematologist Oncology expert in San Antonio, Texas. Mesa has been practicing medicine for over 28 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Essential Thrombocythemia. He is also highly rated in 20 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Myelofibrosis, Polycythemia Vera, Essential Thrombocythemia, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Bone Marrow Aspiration. He is licensed to treat patients in Texas, Minnesota, and Arizona. Mesa is currently accepting new patients.
Alessandro Vannucchi practices in Firenze, Italy. Vannucchi is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Essential Thrombocythemia. He is also highly rated in 24 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Polycythemia Vera, Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN), Essential Thrombocythemia, Myelofibrosis, and Bone Marrow Transplant.
Outcomes may vary. Most people can go for long periods without complications and have a normal lifespan. In a small number of people, complications from bleeding and blood clots can cause serious problems.
In rare cases, the disease can change into acute leukemia or myelofibrosis.
Complications may include:
Call your provider if:
Summary: This phase II clinical trial evaluates whether a modified modality of conditioning reduces treatment-related mortality (TRM) in patients who undergo a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for a hematological malignancy. HSCT is a curative therapy for many hematopoietic malignancies, however this regimen results in higher rates of TRM than other forms of treatment. In recent years, less intens...
Summary: A Phase 3, multicenter, open-label, randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fedratinib compared to best available therapy (BAT) in subjects with DIPSS (Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System)-intermediate or high-risk primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (post-PV MF), or post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (post-ET MF) and previously t...
Published Date: January 19, 2021
Published By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Gotlib J. Polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 157.
Mascarenhas J, Iancu-Rubin C, Kremyanskaya M, Najfeld V, Hoffman R. Essential thrombocythemia. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 69.