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Is Essential Thrombocythemia a blood disease or cancer?
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: 6 hours ago | Replies (25)Comment receiving replies
@lynnebgraham
Thank you for your response. Your question about alternatives to HU has been added. Can you tell me why you are looking for alternatives to HU? And what kind?
Regarding you question whether it is hereditary, what does the 'it' refer to? Can you let me know why this is important to you, so I can refine the question and thus explore a better possible answer?
This is what I do know at this point: Regarding the JAK2 gene mutation, this is NOT hereditary in the sense that you are NOT born with it. I am interested in the JAK2 mutation, because that is what I have and was used to make my diagnosis of having ET. The JAK2 mutation develops later in life for reasons currently not understood. I have confirmed this information with my hemo at my initial visit. I'm personally wondering what's behind or drives the JAK2 mutation and have this in my question bank.
And yes, I will be back with what I learn eventually.
Replies to "@lynnebgraham Thank you for your response. Your question about alternatives to HU has been added. Can..."
Just that I had been on Anagrelide for 16/17 years, with only tiredness. Platelets always came under control while on it. Found out that there isn'tmuch differencebetweenboth these drugs, Hu being a chemotherapy tablet and Anagrelide not. Now on HU for 3 months, all good so far tiredness and a bit of sun sensitivity so far. Good luck with your Dr.
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Hi @gigi05 You’re getting some great question suggestions from our helpful members! I can toss in info on the JAK2 mutation for you. We tend to pick up mutations along our life journey for whatever reason. Our bone marrow produces several million cells per second! Each with staggering precision. So even one tiny glitch in a strand of DNA can change the course of your history. A cool statistic I picked up recently from an outstanding book on the history of bone marrow transplantation. Our body produces 200 billion red cells, 400 billion platelets and 10 billion wbc daily! Mind blowing, at least it was for me.
Here are some go-to articles that I recommend for anyone wanting to learn about the JAK2 mutation and what it can mean for developing an MPN such as PV, ET or MF.
From Verywellhealth:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/jak2-mutation-5217909
From Healthline:
https://www.healthline.com/health/myelofibrosis/what-is-the-jak2-gene
From Pub Med:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6721738/
While some mutations aren’t considered hereditary in themselves, there can be familial lineage that may factor into how your body handles a mutation or making it more prone to happening. Does that make sense?