Essential thrombocythaemia (ET)

ET is a type of blood cancer. It belongs to a group of conditions that affect the blood called myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).

ET is a very slow-developing blood cancer and for most people, doesn’t affect how long they live for.

Find out more about ET and its causes

Order our free booklet 'Your blood cancer diagnosis - what happens now?'. It tells you the key things to know about blood cancer, including tips from other people who've been diagnosed.

If someone you love has been diagnosed, you might find our information for family and friends helpful.

You may not experience any symptoms at all if you have ET, even once you’re diagnosed. Many people with ET are diagnosed after a routine blood test.

The most common tests to diagnose ET are a full blood count, tests for genetic faults and a bone marrow biopsy.

Find out more about the symptoms and diagnosis of ET

Your treatment will depend on how likely you are to develop complications, and also factors such as your age, your medical history and platelet count. This will help your healthcare team plan the best treatment option for you.

Find out about treatment and side effects for ET

ET usually develops very slowly. With proper monitoring and treatment, ET does not affect most people’s quality of life or life expectancy.

Find out more about the prognosis for ET

Clinical trials are how we find new treatments and improve current ones. We can help you find out about clinical trials for ET. Even if you just want to know a bit more about ET research, try our Clinical Trials Support Service.

Our previous research has focused on improving treatments for blood cancers. Read about our research impact.