Is myelofibrosis a cancer?

Myelofibrosis is considered to be a chronic leukemia — a cancer that affects the blood-forming tissues in the body. Myelofibrosis belongs to a group of diseases called myeloproliferative disorders.

How do you diagnose primary myelofibrosis?

The diagnosis of primary myelofibrosis is confirmed by detecting a mutation in JAK2, CALR, or MPL. A broader next-generation sequencing panel may detect gene mutations associated with increased risk of leukemic transformation and may therefore be useful for prognosis.

When should I suspect myelofibrosis?

Primary myelofibrosis should be suspected in patients with splenomegaly, splenic infarction, and anemia. If the disorder is suspected, CBC should be done and peripheral blood morphology and a bone marrow biopsy should be examined.

Is myelofibrosis curable?

There is no drug therapy that can cure MF. The only potential cure for MF is allogeneic stem cell transplantation. But this procedure is risky for older patients and those with other health problems. Because MF primarily affects older adults, a stem cell transplantation is not a treatment option for most MF patients.

Is myelofibrosis a death sentence?

Or a prefibrotic early myelofibrosis; this is something that was carved out of ET, the megakaryocytes look different in the bone marrow. The outcome might be a little worse than ET, with a median survival of 15 years, but it is not a death sentence. We manage the prefibrotic myelofibrosis, typically, as we manage ET.

What is the life expectancy of someone with myelofibrosis?

Life expectancy in PMF Primary myelofibrosis, also known as idiopathic myelofibrosis or myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia, is a rare disease19, 20 usually affecting elderly people. Median survival ranges from 4 to 5.5 years in modern series6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (Figure 1).

What is the lifespan of someone with myelofibrosis?

Can you survive primary myelofibrosis?

Patients with primary myelofibrosis have a median survival of 6 years, and the only treatment shown to alter the natural history of the disease is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

How long can I live with myelofibrosis?

Transcript:Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD: Myelofibrosis is one of the myeloproliferative neoplasms, a chronic disease of the bone marrow. It is, unfortunately, the aggressive type. It does affect the life expectancy of the patients. The average survival is about 5 to 7 years.

What is the life expectancy of a person with myelofibrosis?

Can you live 20 years with myelofibrosis?

Results from a retrospective study suggest that identification of patients with primary myelofibrosis likely to survive 20+ years can be made on the basis of age, sex, blood counts, and symptoms, without inclusion of genetic risk factors. This study was published in the American Journal of Hematology.