As a precaution in my diagnosis process (possible triple-negative ET, but unconfirmed at this point since my platelets are borderline ~430-450), my specialist is recommending getting my blood tested quarterly for the next 2 years, including CBCs and blood smear/blood films.
For those with ET who have had blood smears/blood films done, did it show anything regarding your ET (weird platelet shape, large platelets, etc.)? What else would they be looking for on a blood smear for ET?
I had a blood smear done back in January at the beginning of this process. All the pathologist said was "platelets are elevated with unremarkable morphology" - meaning my platelets appeared normal, just elevated (FYI I also had no circulating blasts).
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I did have a blood smear as part of diagnosis (E.T) and a couple since then. I don't have a lot of experience on the topic but my results had giant platelets....."Few". And of course platelets "many." In my experience they only reported abnormalities everything else was unremarkable as well. I think they look mainly for size, shape and any other cell abnormalities like clumping platelets and Nucleated red blood cells. There are many more I'm sure but like I said I have little experience thus far. Hope this helps some.
Hello. Yes, I had a blood smear at diagnosis. My results read:
Mild leukocytosis with absolute eosinophilia. Granulocytes and monocytes have unremarkable morphology. Lymphocytes consist of predominately small mature forms with scattered reactive/atypical forms present. The red blood cells exhibit mild anisopoikilocytosis with no significant morphological abnormalities. Moderate thrombocytosis with large/giant forms.
Yes, my blood smear indicated: thrombocytosis with many large and giant forms. Also, initially I had high platelets and a normal blood smear, and I was told it was an iron deficiency. Six months later the blood smear showed the cancer, and I had an iron deficiency.When you are iron deficient it can raise platelets.
I had blood smears and wish we could access our results like you can. Apparently my gp doesn't have them. Just haematology?? Which I find strange because it was the gp that ordered them. These films can often differentiate between reactive and primary can't they.
Not always. What they look for in a smear in terms of potential blood cancers is the shape and size of your platelets. Normal shape and size decreases the likelihood of a MPN, but doesn’t completely rule it out. Large or bizarre forms raise the likelihood of MPN.
My smears all say “platelets are elevated with normal shape and size and no clumps”.
Interesting. Can you provide the source for that? I’ve seen that even in ET, they’re commonly misshapen. You’ll also see that everyone who relied to this thread had some abnormality with their platelets.
I read itvon the nice guidelines for thrombocytosis.
It says
Review the results of the blood film — which may show other features to indicate an underlying cause, including acute infective, or inflammatory, processes
In reactive thrombocytosis the platelets are mostly smaller with a low mean platelet volume compared with essential thrombocytosis or people with normal platelets. The blood film may show other features to indicate an underlying cause, including acute infective, or inflammatory, processes
As I read that I thought it meant platelets are normal in size etc in et. Msybe I'm completely wrong.
I don't know if I'm reading it right though. I read that when I had thrombocytosis and was asked questions before being referred. I wondered where she had the question from.
And I had two films done but my gp says they have not got them. I was looking up what a film can tell them. I didn't want to go to haematology if it was reactive. Or looked reactive. But I don't know either way. So my blood film must tell them something then. Its do annoying they don't tell you here.
Yes, I think you may have read it incorrectly. My MPN specialist told me it is common (although not guaranteed) in ET to have platelet abnormalities on a peripheral smear.
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Bone marrow
Hoping to find out others experiences to see if I have anything to be concerned about please 
ET diagnosis without biopsy
