# Thrombocytopenia

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/thrombocytopenia/  
OnCo record `thrombocytopenia` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

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.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: thrombocytopaenia; low platelets; platelet count; platelet transfusion; bleeding risk; grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia; immune thrombocytopenia; ITP; thrombopoietin receptor agonist; platelet transfusions

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombocytopenia
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombocytopenia

## Connected records

- terms: [Anaemia](https://onco.cc/terms/anaemia/), [Anti-VEGF class toxicities (hypertension, proteinuria, bleeding, perforation)](https://onco.cc/terms/antiangiogenic-toxicities/), [Cytopenias and myelosuppression](https://onco.cc/terms/cytopenias/), [Neutropenia](https://onco.cc/terms/neutropenia/)
- fronts: [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- technologies: [Transfusion support and anaemia management](https://onco.cc/technologies/transfusion-support/)
- targets: [IL-11 receptor alpha](https://onco.cc/targets/il11ra/)
- drugs: [Eltrombopag](https://onco.cc/drugs/eltrombopag/), [Fostamatinib](https://onco.cc/drugs/fostamatinib/), [Romiplostim](https://onco.cc/drugs/romiplostim/)
- companies: [Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum)](https://onco.cc/companies/sobi/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/thrombocytopenia.json