Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Side Effects

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are chronic blood cancers that arise due to a defect of the myeloid stem cells in the bone marrow which causes the production of too many abnormal blood cells that do not function properly.

Normal blood stem cells in the bone marrow develop in time into mature blood cells that include:

• Red blood cells: perform tissue oxygenation
• White blood cells: protect against infection and disease 
• Platelets: facilitate clotting of blood

MPNs include three main disorders characterised by different excesses of blood cells in the blood and bone marrow:

• Polycythaemia vera (PV): Excess of red blood cells, but occasionally platelets and white blood cells
• Essential thrombocythaemia (ET): Excess of platelets 
• Myelofibrosis (MF): Excess of scar tissue (fibrosis) formed in the bone marrow that prevents the production of normal blood cells. MF can occur on its own (primary MF), or following PV or ET (secondary MF).

What you will learn in this module?

• Epidemiology, clinical features and diagnosis of the myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)
• Tests used to diagnose MPNs and monitor its treatment
• Goals of treatment for MPNs
• Treatments for MPNs
• Role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in managing MPNs

A self-assessment test is included so you can assess your knowledge after the module.

Time to complete this course: 2 hours

Date of publication: February 2021

Review date: February 2024

To assist you with the completion of this course, we’ve put all the course materials into this PDF booklet that can be downloaded.