Can you live a normal life with polycythemia vera?

Can you live a normal life with polycythemia vera? If the condition is mild or if treatment is effective, a person can lead a healthy life with polycythemia vera. Even of your condition is mild, it’s important to get medical attention for new or worsening symptoms and to have medical surveillance for signs of complications.

If the condition is mild or if treatment is effective, a person can lead a healthy life with polycythemia vera. Even of your condition is mild, it’s important to get medical attention for new or worsening symptoms and to have medical surveillance for signs of complications.

Is polycythemia vera a cancer?

Polycythemia vera (pol-e-sy-THEE-me-uh VEER-uh) is a type of blood cancer. It causes your bone marrow to make too many red blood cells. These excess cells thicken your blood, slowing its flow, which may cause serious problems, such as blood clots. Polycythemia vera is rare.

Do you need chemo for polycythemia?

Polycythemia vera (PV), a type of myeloproliferative neoplasm that forces bone marrow to produce too many red blood cells, should be treated with therapeutic phlebotomy, a procedure that removes blood from a person’s body with the goal of reducing iron overload, and cytoreductive therapy with the chemotherapy

What cancer did Phyllis George have?

Phyllis George, who was crowned Miss America in 1971 and later became the first female co-anchor on The NFL Today, has died at 70. The cause of death was polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer that George was diagnosed with 35 years ago, her family told the New York Times and CNN.

Can you live a normal life with polycythemia vera? – Related Questions

When should you suspect polycythemia vera?

If you have PV, a higher-than-normal percentage of your blood will be made of red blood cells. In adults, a hematocrit greater than 48 percent in women or greater than 49 percent in men can indicate PV, according to the World Health Organization .

How long can you live with polycythemia vera?

Recent studies estimate the average life expectancy after diagnosis with polycythemia vera to be about 20 years. The average age of death is about 77. The most common cause of death is complications from blood clots (about 33%). Advancing cancer is the second most common cause (15%).

Is myelofibrosis a leukemia?

Myelofibrosis is considered to be a chronic leukemia — a cancer that affects the blood-forming tissues in the body. Myelofibrosis belongs to a group of diseases called myeloproliferative disorders.

How is polycythemia vera diagnosed?

Bone marrow exam

If your doctor suspects that you have polycythemia vera, he or she might recommend collecting a sample of your bone marrow through a bone marrow aspiration or biopsy. A bone marrow biopsy involves taking a sample of solid bone marrow material. A bone marrow aspiration is usually done at the same time.

How common is polycythemia vera?

The prevalence (estimated number of people in a population with a diagnosis of a disease) of PV is approximately 22 cases per 100,000 people. This prevalence has been shown in several small studies. The average age at which PV is diagnosed is 60 to 65 years. It is uncommon in individuals younger than 30 years.

Can polycythemia vera go into remission?

Abstract. A 20-year-old woman presented with polycythemia vera and was treated with phlebotomy alone for eleven years, following which all clinical manifestations of the disease disappeared. The clinical remission with normal physical findings and normal peripheral blood counts has persisted for a further 11 years.