Tomorrow’s Myelofibrosis Treatment Today

Understanding Your Options for Treating Myelofibrosis

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a rare form of blood cancer and one of several myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) which originate in bone marrow and cause blood cells to develop and behave abnormally. MF may develop on its own or due to the progression of other myeloproliferative disorders such as polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia, chronic idiopathic MF, and myelosclerosis with myeloid metaplasia are other names used for MF.

More than 50 percent of MF cases are linked to a mutation in the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) gene. Other gene mutations are also associated with this myeloproliferative disorder. MF often progresses slowly, and some people go for years without experiencing any symptoms.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms produce an excess of blood cells in bone marrow. White blood cells are more often affected than others, though some myeloproliferative disorders result in excess red blood cells or platelets. There are six types of chronic MPNs:

• Chronic myelogenous leukemia
• Polycythemia vera
• Primary MF (also called chronic idiopathic MF)
• Essential thrombocythemia
• Chronic neutrophilic leukemia
• Chronic eosinophilic leukemia

Doctors recommend myelofibrosis treatment based largely on a patient’s symptoms and other factors, as in other blood cancer treatments such as the presence of anemia, an enlarged spleen, and certain other features of this disease. Because each patient is affected by MF in different ways, MF treatment is tailored to the patient, as in the case of polycythemia vera treatment and other blood cancer treatments. Your doctor will also consider age, blood cell count, amounts of immature blood cells called blasts, and symptoms such as fatigue and severe weight loss.