Location: Barb's struggle with PV

Discussion: Barb's Struggle with PV

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Anonymous		 Barb's Struggle with PV
Nov 20 2006, 10:25 AM EST
PV is not a cancer, because it is not metastatic - it can not spread to other parts of your body. TIA's are not strokes, but they can indicate you are at risk for stroke. Hydrea does not cause the itchy skin, PV causes the itchy skin.
Chemotherapy is not the only treatment option for PV. Interferon is a treatment option and it is not chemotherapy.
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Louise
Louise		 RE: Barb's Struggle with PV
Nov 20 2006, 11:55 AM EST
While PV is not technically identified as a cancer, it does share many characteristics of other blood cancers and can lead to acute myelogenous leukemia. TIAs are in fact known as "mini-strokes" and can have lasting effects on the person suffering from these attacks. A person who suffers from more than on TIA is at risk of experiencing a full-blown stroke in the future.

While I am not sure if PV causes itchy skin or not, the itchy skin can be a side effect of the hydrea as well. It is also worth noting that hydrea, when used as a long-term treatment for diseases such as PV, can lead to secondary leukemia, increasing further the PV patient's chance of developing this disease.

As for interferon being a treatment option for PV, it is also a treatment option which comes with its own set of possible side effects including extreme fatigue and debilitating depression. It is not a treatment for everyone.

I felt that Barb's story was closely-enough related to cancer and the cancer experience that it should remain under teh shared stories banner. If you would like to contribute to the PV discussion, I invite you to create a page with your own story/experience with the disease, or create a a page for PV where you can provide more information about the disease and the treatment options. Just go to "Cancer Types" and select "add a page."

Thank you for your comment and interest in this matter. Take care.

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