Chemotherapy and Radiation
Chemotherapy is used to treat and suppress several different types of cancer cells, but it can also damage bone marrow, which in turn can be a cause of thrombocytopenia. Chemotherapy normally destroys the rapidly diving cells, which in most cases are cancer cells, but these cells can also be the ones being produced in bone marrow, which became platelets. Radiation therapy alone does not mostly cause thrombocytopenia. If a large amount of radiation therapy is directed to the pelvis or the patient is receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy at the same time, then chances of thrombocytopenia increase. Some chemotherapeutic drugs can also result in a lower platelet count. A study conducted in 2019 showed the incidence of thrombocytopenia to be higher in people with cancer.