Hi Keith, When someone gets a diagnosis of a blood cancer it’s pretty natural to experience fear. Myeloproliferative blood disorders should be taken seriously because, by definition, they can proliferate. So each patient’s situation needs to be diagnosed independently and with the help and guidance of their hematologist oncologist make the right decision based on their educated diagnosis.

You’re right, with PV, not everyone requires treatment right away besides aspirin and phlebotomies. But again, it is a myeloproliferative disease which can advance. Some patients aren’t aware of how long they’ve had PV because it is discovered unexpectedly in blood work. So by the time it’s diagnosed they may require treatment right way and are not able to delay the progression. With PV only the red blood cells are proliferating. In your wife’s case you mentioned her platelets and white blood cells are off the charts. It would appear that her situation is advancing.

You’re also wondering if there is natural way to reduce CBC numbers. If this is an underlying cancerous condition where the bone marrow is defective, numbers most likely won’t change through diet or nutrition. Cancer cells will proliferate because the mechanism that can prevent this from happening has fooled the immune system.

Does your wife’s peripheral blood work show signs of blasts?
Has she had a bone marrow biopsy?