Friend with Low Platelets

SpunkyGirl

I have a friend who was diagnosed with low platelet counts, and she went through chemo about six months before I did, so she's about 4.5 years out with her diagnosis.  She did ACT, which I assume they will find caused this condition.  I don't ever recall reading about anyone on these forums having this particular issue.  Does anyone know anything about it, and what my friend can expect in the way of treatment? I know they would treat with platelet infusions, but that's about it.  If anyone has any information that can help her, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks

Bobbie

ElaineD

I'd be very surprised if her low platelets were caused by treatmnet so long ago. I recently had 6 cycles of carboplatin, which is notoriously hard on the bone marrow, and each time we had to delay a week, in order to allow the platelets to recover. But recover they did. I think if she has this problem after so long, there will be another cause entirely-and I hope she will be having it investigated fully.

SpunkyGirl

Elaine,

I don't know all the details, but I think her platelet counts have been declining for at least the last year, but they were still in the normal range so the doctor wasn't too concerned.  I guess any other time I've heard this happen, it definitely wasn't this far out.  Thanks for your input, and I hope this last round you did is all you need for a very long time!

Hugs

Bobbie

AnacortesGirl

My platelets took a nosedive at the end of AC.  I was supposed to do 27 weeks but I stopped at 26 because, in addition to the hits I was taking on red and whites, the platelets went down to 57.  But 3 weeks later they were back above 100 and were fine by surgery.  Now I'm on low dose carbo and it's the low platelets that have caused problems again.  Changed from 3 weeks on, 1 week off to 2 weeks of chemo then 2 off.  I asked the onc if there were any options other than a platelet infusion and he did mention a drug that is a platelet stimulator (like Neulasta or Epocrit) but I don't remember the name.  He didn't say too much other than it wasn't warranted since giving me a break from the chemo will allow my counts to recover.