Platelets, also called thrombocytes (thromb- + -cyte, blood clot cell), are a component of blood whose function (along with the coagulation factors) is to stop bleeding by clumping and clotting blood vessel injuries.
Milk of the poppy is essentially the Westeros version of morphine. Maesters make it from crushed poppy flowers, and morphine and other opiate-based drugs are made from poppy plants. Indeed, the books' descriptions strongly suggest that the poppy is intended to be the real-world opium poppy (Papaver somniferum).
Here are the facts: Major studies suggesting a link between milk and prostate cancer have appeared in medical journals since the 1970s. Two of six cohort studies (research studies following groups of people over time) found increased risk with higher milk intakes.