Essential Thrombocythemia

Essential thrombocythemia is a disease in which too many platelets are made in the bone marrow.

Essential thrombocythemia causes an abnormal increase in the number of platelets made in the blood and bone marrow.


Patients with essential thrombocythemia may have no symptoms.

Essential thrombocythemia often does not cause early symptoms. It is sometimes found during a routine blood test. The following symptoms may be caused by essential thrombocytopenia or by other conditions. A doctor should be consulted if any of these problems occur:

• Headache.
• Burning or tingling in the hands or feet.
• Redness and warmth of the hands or feet.
• Vision or hearing problems.

Platelets are sticky. When there are too many platelets, they may clump together and make it hard for the blood to flow. Clots may form in blood vessels and there may also be increased bleeding. These can cause serious health problems such as stroke or heart attack.


Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options for essential thrombocythemia.

Prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following:

• The age of the patient.
• Whether the patient has symptoms or other problems related to essential thrombocythemia.

Chronic Neutrophilic Leukemia

Chronic neutrophilic leukemia is a disease in which too many blood stem cells develop into a type of white blood cell called neutrophils. Neutrophils are infection -fighting blood cells that surround and destroy dead cells and foreign substances (such as bacteria). The spleen and liver may swell because of the extra neutrophils. Chronic neutrophilic leukemia may stay the same or it may progress quickly to acute leukemia.



Chronic Eosinophilic Leukemia

Chronic eosinophilic leukemia is a disease in which too many white blood cells (eosinophils) are made in the bone marrow.

Eosinophils are white blood cells that react to allergens (substances that cause an allergic response) and help fight infections caused by certain parasites. In chronic eosinophilic leukemia, there are too many eosinophils in the blood, bone marrow, and other tissues. Chronic eosinophilic leukemia may stay the same for many years or it may progress quickly to acute leukemia.


Possible signs of chronic eosinophilic leukemia include fever and feeling very tired.

Chronic eosinophilic leukemia may not cause early symptoms. It is sometimes found during a routine blood test. The following symptoms may be caused by chronic eosinophilic leukemia or by other conditions. A doctor should be consulted if any of these problems occur:

• Fever.
• Feeling very tired.
• Cough.
• Swelling under the skin around the eyes and lips, in the throat, or on the hands and feet.
• Muscle pain.
• Itching.
• Diarrhea.

Stages of Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders

There is no standard staging system for chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

Staging is the process used to find out how far the cancer has spread. There is no standard staging system for chronic myeloproliferative disorders. Treatment is based on the type of myeloproliferative disorder the patient has. It is important to know the type in order to plan treatment.


There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.

When cancer cells spread outside the blood, a solid tumor may form. This process is called metastasis. The three ways that cancer cells spread in the body are:

• Through the blood. Cancer cells travel through the blood, invade solid tissues in the body, such as the brain or heart, and form a solid tumor.
• Through the lymph system. Cancer cells invade the lymph system, travel through the lymph vessels, and form a solid tumor in other parts of the body.
• Through solid tissue. Cancer cells that have formed a solid tumor spread to tissues in the surrounding area.

The new (metastatic) tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary cancer. For example, if leukemia cells spread to the brain, the cancer cells in the brain are actually leukemia cells. The disease is metastatic leukemia, not brain cancer.



Last updated: July 28, 2010
Source: The Web site of the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov)