Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of rare blood disorders characterized by an overproduction of blood cells in the bone marrow, which leads to an increased number of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets in the bloodstream.
Definition
What are MPNs?
What are MPNs?
MPNs are a chronic hematological disease group caused by a stem-cell disorder.
Who discovered them?
William Dameshek, a US hematologist, first described this group of diseases in 1951. He was looking at some common symptoms and phenomena, such as thromboses and constitutional symptoms, but also at the unifying hyperproliferation of the bone marrow combined with splenomegaly and an increased number of thrombosis and bleeding events.
How are they classified?
The World Health Organization (WHO) updated the definition of MPNs in 2016.
How are MPNs different from other cancers?
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) is an umbrella term for different diseases that belong to the family of malignancies. MPNs are completely different from solid cancers, in that they are mostly chronic diseases. MPNs develop in the bone marrow of the patients and produce too many blood cells.
How are MPNs classified?
According to the type of the predominant blood cells MPNs can be classified into different categories. The first one is polycythemia vera, mostly characterized by an increase of red blood cells, which can also be accompanied by increased amounts of white cells and platelets. If only platelets are increased, we are dealing with essential thrombocythemia. Finally, primary myelofibrosis is more of a heterogeneous disease group. In general, it is always characterized by an overproduction of blood cells.