Sorry to hear about your girlfriends diagnosis. I recommend a review
by Tefferi, Silverstein and Hoagland entitled Primary Thrombocythemia.
It is in Seminars in Oncology Vol 22, No. 4 1995: pp 334-340.
Generally ---, there are three treatment options.
1. anagrelide -- well understood experimental drug
2. hydrea or hydroxyurea
3. interferon
I'm on interferon 2B. Frankly, the slightly raised tendency to acute
leukemia from hydroxyurea, scares me. The side effects of interferon
may cause me to shift to anagrelide. Like your girlfriend my counts
started at 2200 (platelets) They are down to 800 on interferon -- but
I'm on 3MU/day (every day) which is not lots of fun.
If I can be of any help --- let me know.
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Essential Thrombocythemia
Author: mol-cancer@lists.kbt.com at INTERNET
Date: 11/14/95 9:53 AM
Can you give me any recent information on Essential Thrombocythemia?
My girlfriend was diagnosed with it when her platelet count was near 2
million. She experiences no symptons but is on hydroxurea to try to
control the platelet count.
