According to the Cleveland Clinic, myelofibrosis is a rare type of blood cancer where the bone marrow is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. The scarring and the excess cancer cells can prevent the bone marrow from making healthy blood cells.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis like myelofibrosis can often bring forward the questions "How long will I live with this disease?" or "What can I expect the quality of life of my loved one to be?"
These are important and valid questions that deserve answers. Unfortunately, with a diagnosis like myelofibrosis, it's not always as simple as it might seem. In solid tumor cancers,(like breast cancer or colon cancer) it's easier to correlate the prognosis of the patient with the stage of cancer they are diagnosed with, but in myelofibrosis, the evaluation is not as obvious.
Myelofibrosis has a median survival rate of six years, which means that about 50% of diagnosed people live less than six years, and about the same number of people live longer than six years.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, prognosis means "the prospect of recovery as anticipated from the usual course of disease or peculiarities of the case".
In other words, knowing one's myelofibrosis prognosis would give them a glimpse into how well they will live with the disease and how likely they are to make a full recovery.
Now, while there is no current cure for all myelofibrosis patients because even if allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a potential cure, not everyone can receive this treatment; the longevity of patients and their quality of life is the primary goal of all treatment options.
Multiple factors affect prognosis, including:
While this question seems pretty straightforward, it’s challenging to respond to because there are multiple causes that lead to myelofibrosis, and each case is different.
The longest-known survival of myelofibrosis is difficult to pinpoint precisely, as individual cases can vary widely and medical records may not always be available or complete. However, there have been cases reported where individuals with myelofibrosis have survived for decades. As noted above, some patients have lived well beyond 20 years since their initial diagnosis.
It's important to note that these cases of exceptionally long survival are likely to be influenced by a combination of factors, including:
By securely connecting your electronic health records, HealthTree Cure Hub allows you to discover treatment options, find a specialist, keep track of your disease and so much more! Sign up for a free patient account today to get started.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, myelofibrosis is a rare type of blood cancer where the bone marrow is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. The scarring and the excess cancer cells can prevent the bone marrow from making healthy blood cells.
Receiving a cancer diagnosis like myelofibrosis can often bring forward the questions "How long will I live with this disease?" or "What can I expect the quality of life of my loved one to be?"
These are important and valid questions that deserve answers. Unfortunately, with a diagnosis like myelofibrosis, it's not always as simple as it might seem. In solid tumor cancers,(like breast cancer or colon cancer) it's easier to correlate the prognosis of the patient with the stage of cancer they are diagnosed with, but in myelofibrosis, the evaluation is not as obvious.
Myelofibrosis has a median survival rate of six years, which means that about 50% of diagnosed people live less than six years, and about the same number of people live longer than six years.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, prognosis means "the prospect of recovery as anticipated from the usual course of disease or peculiarities of the case".
In other words, knowing one's myelofibrosis prognosis would give them a glimpse into how well they will live with the disease and how likely they are to make a full recovery.
Now, while there is no current cure for all myelofibrosis patients because even if allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a potential cure, not everyone can receive this treatment; the longevity of patients and their quality of life is the primary goal of all treatment options.
Multiple factors affect prognosis, including:
While this question seems pretty straightforward, it’s challenging to respond to because there are multiple causes that lead to myelofibrosis, and each case is different.
The longest-known survival of myelofibrosis is difficult to pinpoint precisely, as individual cases can vary widely and medical records may not always be available or complete. However, there have been cases reported where individuals with myelofibrosis have survived for decades. As noted above, some patients have lived well beyond 20 years since their initial diagnosis.
It's important to note that these cases of exceptionally long survival are likely to be influenced by a combination of factors, including:
By securely connecting your electronic health records, HealthTree Cure Hub allows you to discover treatment options, find a specialist, keep track of your disease and so much more! Sign up for a free patient account today to get started.
about the author
Audrey Burton-Bethke
Audrey is a content writer and editor for the HealthTree Foundation. She originally joined the HealthTree Foundation in 2020. Audrey loves spending time with her supportive husband, energetic four-year-old, and new baby.
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