Radiation and Chemotherapy
The use of chemotherapy is to suppress and treat several types of cancer. However, it can also cause damage to the bone marrow which can lead to thrombocytopenia. The rapidly diving cells are usually cancerous cells. However, these cells may also be those that produce platelets in the bone marrow. Radiation alone is not the main cause of thrombocytopenia. If the patient receives both radiation and chemotherapy, or if a lot of radiation is focused on the pelvis, the chances of developing thrombocytopenia will increase. Some chemotherapy drugs can cause a decrease in platelet counts. In a study published in 2019, the incidence of thrombocytopenia was higher among cancer patients.
