{"entity":{"id":"thrombocytopenia","kind":"term","name":"Thrombocytopenia","aka":["thrombocytopaenia","low platelets","platelet count","platelet transfusion","bleeding risk","grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia","immune thrombocytopenia","ITP","thrombopoietin receptor agonist","platelet transfusions"],"tldr":"Too few platelets, the blood cells that form clots, caused by chemotherapy or by the cancer in the marrow. Mild cases cause bruising; severe cases (under 10-20 × 10⁹/L) risk serious bleeding and need platelet transfusions.","summary":"Common with carboplatin, gemcitabine, temozolomide, lurbinectedin, PARP inhibitors (niraparib especially), radioligand therapies and in leukaemia and myeloma; it limits dose more often than neutropenia for some regimens because no growth factor is routinely used (romiplostim and avatrombopag are being trialled). Grade 4 is <25 × 10⁹/L. It also complicates anticoagulation for cancer-associated thrombosis and procedures such as biopsies and central line placement. Cirrhosis with portal hypertension causes chronic thrombocytopenia that constrains liver cancer treatment, and immune thrombocytopenia is an immune-related adverse event of checkpoint inhibitors.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombocytopenia","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombocytopenia"}],"tags":[],"related":["cytopenias","anaemia"],"indications":[],"sections":[],"technologies":[],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Side effects"},"route":"/terms/thrombocytopenia/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"anaemia","kind":"term","name":"Anaemia","route":"/terms/anaemia/"},{"id":"cytopenias","kind":"term","name":"Cytopenias and myelosuppression","route":"/terms/cytopenias/"},{"id":"myelosuppression-after-rlt","kind":"term","name":"Myelosuppression after radioligand therapy","route":"/terms/myelosuppression-after-rlt/"}]}}