Abstract
Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer however, due to possible myelotoxicity, it is used with caution in patients with thrombocytopenia, especially when severe. TPO-receptor agonists have been employed for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, however treatment with TPO-receptor agonists to allow chemotherapy in patients with inherited thrombocytopenia has not been reported so far. We report the first successful use of eltrombopag to prevent chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in a patient with MHY9-related disorder and pancreatic cancer. Treatment with eltrombopag allowed to attain a safe and stable platelet count for several months sufficient to permit chemotherapy and to allow the patient to undergo endoscopic placement of a biliary stent with no bleeding complications.
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This work was supported in part by a fellowship to LB from Fondazione Umberto Veronesi.
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FP and LB analyzed and interpreted data; PG contributed the patient for the study; FP and LB wrote the manuscript; PG critically revised the manuscript.
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Paciullo, F., Bury, L. & Gresele, P. Eltrombopag to allow chemotherapy in a patient with MYH9-related inherited thrombocytopenia and pancreatic cancer. Int J Hematol 112, 725–727 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-020-02918-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-020-02918-6