prognosis

Last edited 01/2020

Median survival in patients with polycythemia vera (PV), which is 1.5-3 years in the absence of therapy.

The median survival has been extended to approximately 14 years overall, and to 24 years for patients younger than 60 years of age - this is because the availability of new therapeutic tools.

The relationship of the disease to other myeloproliferative disorders is evidenced by the tendency in some patients to transform after a period to acute leukaemia - in 10 to 20% of patients - or to myelofibrosis - in one third of all patients.

Reference:

Tefferi A, Barbui T.Polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia: 2019 update on diagnosis, risk-stratification and management. Am J Hematol. 2019 Jan;94(1):133-143