The classic chronic MPNs are polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and primary myelofibrosis. There are about 15/100,000 new cases of MPNs annually. There are more unusual MPNs, the classification of which is subject to periodic modification as we learn more about them.
Just as important as the treatment of the actual myeloproliferative neoplasm, is the prevention, recognition, prompt diagnosis, and treatment of known complications of the MPNs. These may include thrombosis and bleeding (the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in the MPNs), as well as vascular complications, rheumatologic, cutaneous, and obstetric problems, among others. It is for this reason that the Silver Center for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms has assembled an on-site team of well-known experts in other clinical specialties who can readily and seamlessly address these problems with our hematologists for personalized prevention and management.
Chronic eosinophil diseases are types of blood disorders associated with abnormally high numbers of a rare white blood cell type called eosinophils. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cells in the body and are found in the blood stream of all people. They are believed to help the body fight against parasitic infections, cancer, or can cause allergic reactions.Chronic eosinophil diseases are conditions where a higher-than-normal number of eosinophils exist but aren’t needed. Because of this,...
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) occurs when the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells relative to the other components of the blood. Only about 10% of leukemias are CML. In CML, a genetic change takes place in a blood forming stem cell; also called a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC). Everyone is born with a few tens of thousands of HSCs that are the source for all of the red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells that people make throughout their life. In CML, the genetic change,...
Chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) is a very rare myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) classified by an overproduction of neutrophils in the bone marrow. Neutrophils are the most common types of white blood cells in the body and protect the immune system. If the body is fighting an infection, it will produce more neutrophils to attack the infection, but in CNL, the bone marrow makes too high of a number even when they are not needed.CNL is often associated with mutation of the CSF3R protein....
Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) is a type of chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm caused by abnormal blood forming cells that overproduce a blood cell called platelets (aka thrombocytes). Like CML, ET is also thought to be caused by mutations in blood forming stem cells (aka hematopoietic stem cell, HSC). Everyone is born with a few tens of thousands of HSCs that are the source for all of the blood cells people make during their life. In ET, mutations in one of two genes, JAK2 and CALR, are found...
Mastocytosis, also known as mast cell disease, is an uncommon disorder caused by the accumulation of a normally rare white blood cell type called mastocytes. Normal mastocytes are involved in fighting certain infections but are most well known as the primary cells that drive allergic responses. Mastocytosis occurs when abnormal amounts of mastocytes accumulate throughout the body in places such as the skin, bone marrow, airways, and internal organs (liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, and...
In order to understand myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) disease overlap, it’s important to first differentiate between myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). MDS represents a group of diverse bone marrow disorders in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells. Cells look abnormal under the microscope and those with this disease tend to have low blood cell counts. Some of the symptoms of MDS include infection, anemia,...
Myelofibrosis (MF) is a disease of the blood forming system characterized by varying degrees of bone marrow scarring/fibrosis and disordered production of blood cells. Approximately 16,000 to 18,500 people in the United States have MF. It is usually a disease of older patients and most people are around 65 years old when diagnosed with MF. MF is typically progressive leading to increasing amounts of bone marrow scaring, reduced blood cell production and sometimes, transformation to acute...
Polycythemia Vera (PV) is a condition characterized by the overproduction of red blood cells relative to the other components of the blood. These excess cells have the ability to thicken blood, which in turn slows its flow. PV has the tendency to cause complications such as blood clots which can lead to a potential heart attack or stroke. Like the other myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), PV is also thought to be caused by mutations in blood forming stem cells (aka hematopoietic stem cell, HSC...