Cll patient, platelets dropped 20, 000 in 10 days. if prednisone doesn't work what else can they try? no chemo until counts go up. count today 62, 000.

Wait: Low platelet count can occurs in advanced cll. Chemo can also cause low platelet count. Based on your question, i assume you have been on chemotherapy, which is most likely the cause of the drop in your count. Wait for a week or two to see if the platelet count goes up by itself.

See below : We usually can monitor cll if only the white count is affected and is not increasing quickly. If your white count starts going up rapidly, if u start developing lymph nodes, or if ur red counts and platelets start going down, then u need treatment. Lots of options such as fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab, etc.. Talk to you doc ! regards.

ITP vs chemo effect: The therapy of patients with thrombocytopenia and CLL depends on the cause. If the patient has not recently been treated then it is likely that this represents ITP which should respond to steroids within a few days. If the patient has recently received chemotherapy then there is no choice but to wait it out. Don't forget the possibility of heparin induced thrombocytopenia or TTP.