Is Essential Thrombocythemia a blood disease or cancer?

@janrossi I am 71. Since about age 30 my platelets have been increasing. A few doctors said not to worry. It has never been treated. It got to about 800,000. Then I developed CLL a year ago and that's when I heard it was cancer. But the CLL is bringing down my platelets. Best of luck!

what is CLL

I’ve had Et For about 2 1/2yrs Was Started On Hu and it Bought my platelets Down But never in the Normal Range. Started on Besremi in march and in the Normal Range Now 338a Wk ago. Hopefully Continues No Side Affects So Far.

@hudson2019 been on Hu for 3 years, platelets not coming down, will dicuss taking Besremi with my doctor at my next visit, thank you!

I have ET bn on HU for 3 years, platelets not coming down. Was told by 3 Oncologist/Hemotologist that I do not have cancer. I would also like to know the truth is ET cancer or not.

@hun8ln2026 There is a level of confusion surrounding MPNs (myeloproliferative neoplasms) which is the group of blood cancers OR diseases that include ET (essential thrombocythemia, PV (polycythemia vera) and primary MF (myelofibrosis). You’ll hear it referred to as a cancer or a blood condition.

Technically any condition of the bone marrow where blood stem cells proliferate out of control, maturing into an overabundance of one or more types of blood cells, can be considered or classified as a type of cancer. In ET it’s too many platelets, with PV there are too many red blood cells forming. Usually this from a glitch in a strand of DNA that bypasses the ‘off’ switch in cell production.
Generally, because these diseases may take years to progress they aren’t necessarily treated ‘as a cancer’ but more like a chronic disease.

It’s complicated and I know you’d like to know ‘the truth’. There is nothing being held back from you. Many hematologists refer to these diseases as disorders taking the “Big C’ word out of the equation.

I have several hematologists on my health team, including doctors from Mayo. Because I’m a mentor in the blood cancer group, I have gotten the chance to pick the brains of my doctors in order to help with some of my responses here. The MPN discussion has come up more than once. All the doctors I’ve spoken with maintain that MPNs are a type of blood cancer. However, depending on the patient, it is more of a chronic disease and treated as such. But also monitored closely for potential changes as sometimes they can progress to other stages.
The bottom line is that patients with diseases such as ET or PV tend to live full and healthy lives, passing WITH the disease, and not from it. That it’s more of a matter of semantics as to what it’s called.

If you’d like to do some reading, I’ve found articles for you from credible sources that might help make the muddy waters a little more clear.

~Cancer.org
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/myelodysplastic-syndrome/about/myeloproliferative-disorders.html
~Blood Cancer United: https://bloodcancerunited.org/blood-cancer/myeloproliferative-neoplasms-mpns

~MDAnderson: https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/myeloproliferative-neoplasms--mpns--types-diagnosis-treatment-research-7-questions--answered.h00-159460845.html
MY MPN team.com

My MPN Team;
https://www.mympnteam.com/resources/myeloproliferative-neoplasms-mpns-an-overview
In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter what you call your ET diagnosis. If you feel better not having ‘cancer’ then it is a blood condition. Either way, your doctor is treating you with hydroxyurea (HU) to help you lower your excess platelet level. If the HU isn’t working to accomplish that, your doctor has several other options to offer.

I read through a couple of your other replies trying to find out if you have been tested any genetic mutations such as a mutation on the JAK2 gene. Which is often responsible for the development of ET. There are drugs that can be targeted to that mutation which can help by interfering with the mechanism that allows the platelets to keep multiplying out of control. Do you know if you have a specific mutation? What has your doctor suggested about continuing with the HU if it hasn’t been working?