Table of Contents
What does it mean if your platelets are high?
A high platelet count may be referred to as thrombocytosis. This is usually the result of an existing condition (also called secondary or reactive thrombocytosis), such as: Cancer, most commonly lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, or lymphoma.
Does platelet count indicate cancer?
Large-scale UK study shows that raised platelet count is a risk marker for cancer.
What is the most common cause of high platelet count?
Infection. In both children and adults, infections are the most common cause of an elevated platelet count. 1 This elevation can be extreme, with platelet counts greater than 1 million cells per microliter.
How high is platelet count in cancer?
A raised platelet count (thrombocytosis) measuring >400 × 109/l is associated with high cancer incidence. It is uncertain whether platelet counts at the upper end of the normal range (high-normal: 326–400 × 109/l) are also associated with cancer.
What kind of cancer causes high platelets?
8 This is known as paraneoplastic thrombocytosis. This is more common in solid tumors like lung cancer, hepatocellular (liver) carcinoma, ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer. Elevated platelet count can also be seen in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
What number is a dangerous platelet count?
Dangerous internal bleeding can occur when your platelet count falls below 10,000 platelets per microliter. Though rare, severe thrombocytopenia can cause bleeding into the brain, which can be fatal.
Is a high blood platelet count a bad sign?
An elevated platelet count can be observed in people without significant medical problems. Mild to moderately elevated platelet counts are commonly seen when chronic inflammation is present. In other cases a high platelet count can signal a more serious blood problem known as a myeloproliferative disorder (abnormal growth of blood cell elements within the bone marrow).
What are the reasons for elevated platelet count?
A high platelet count can be caused by cancer, infections, anemia, and inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. A high platelet count can lead to excessive, dangerous blood clotting if left untreated.
What is a normal test result for a platelet count?
Normal Results The normal number of platelets in the blood is 150,000 to 400,000 platelets per microliter (mcL) or 150 to 400 × 10 9 /L . Normal value ranges may vary slightly. Some lab use different measurements or may test different specimens.