Myelofibrosis Epidemiology

• Myelofibrosis is a rare type of blood cancer characterized by the buildup of scar tissue, called “fibrosis,” in the bone marrow.
• The total prevalent cases of myelofibrosis in the 7MM were nearly 55,900 in 2024 and are projected to increase during the study period (2021-2034).
• The prevalence rates of myelofibrosis have risen compared to previous reports, likely due to advancements in diagnostic methods, more widespread preventive checkups, and the WHO's reclassification of prefibrotic myelofibrosis in 2016.
• Approximately 10–20% of myelofibrosis cases initially present as polycythemia vera or essential thrombocythemia, which increases the likelihood of misdiagnosis.
• Myelofibrosis can be further categorized into primary myelofibrosis and secondary myelofibrosis. In 2024, primary myelofibrosis accounted for ~75% of all cases in the US.
• Around 90% of myelofibrosis patients carry driver mutations, mainly in JAK2, CALR, and MPL. The remaining 10% are considered triple-negative, lacking these mutations. Of those with driver mutations, approximately 60% have the JAK2 mutation, 20–35% exhibit the CALR mutation, and 5–8% present with the MPL mutation.
• Around 65% of myelofibrosis cases occur in individuals aged 70 years or older, followed by those in the 40–69-year age group.

DelveInsight’s “Myelofibrosis – Epidemiology Forecast – 2034” report delivers an in-depth understanding of myelofibrosis, historical and forecasted epidemiology trends in the United States, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Geography Covered

• The United States
• EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and the United Kingdom
• Japan

Study Period: 2021-2034

Myelofibrosis Disease Understanding

Myelofibrosis Overview

Myelofibrosis is a rare type of blood cancer characterized by the buildup of scar tissue, called “fibrosis,” in the bone marrow. The bone marrow cannot make enough healthy blood cells due to increased scar tissue. It is one of the related groups of blood cancers known as “Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)” in which blood cells produced by bone marrow cells develop and function abnormally. When myelofibrosis develops on its own (and not as the result of another bone marrow disease), it is called primary myelofibrosis. In other cases, another type of MPN, such as polycythemia vera or essential thrombocythemia, can transform into myelofibrosis. In these cases, it is known as secondary myelofibrosis, which may also be referred to as post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis or post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis.

Myelofibrosis usually develops slowly, and it often does not cause early symptoms and may be found during a routine blood test. When fibrosis develops in the bone marrow, the bone marrow is unable to produce enough normal blood cells. The lack of blood cells causes many signs and symptoms of myelofibrosis. Several specific gene mutations have been identified in people with myelofibrosis. The most common is the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) gene mutation, and other less common mutations include CALR and MPL. Some people with myelofibrosis do not have any identifiable gene mutations. Prominent clinical features in myelofibrosis include anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, and constitutional symptoms including fatigue, night sweats, low-grade fever, and progressive cachexia with loss of muscle mass, bone pain, splenic infarct, pruritus, thrombosis, and bleeding.

Myelofibrosis Diagnosis

Myelofibrosis can be diagnosed by using a series of tests such as blood tests, bone marrow tests, molecular testing, and mutation-enhanced morphologic diagnosis. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor tests the bone marrow. Bone marrow testing involves two steps usually performed at the same time in a doctor’s office or a hospital: a bone marrow aspiration removes a liquid marrow sample, and a bone marrow biopsy removes a small amount of bone filled with marrow. Molecular tests are used for diagnosis and treatment planning to look for abnormal changes in the genes, chromosomes, proteins, or other molecules within the patient’s cancer cells.

Further details related to diagnosis will be provided in the report…

Myelofibrosis Epidemiology

The myelofibrosis epidemiology chapter in the report provides historical as well as forecasted epidemiology segmented by the total prevalent cases of myelofibrosis, type-specific cases of myelofibrosis, myelofibrosis cases based on risk stratification, age-specific cases of myelofibrosis, and myelofibrosis cases based on molecular alterations in the 7MM covering the United States, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan from 2021 to 2034. 

• The total prevalent cases of myelofibrosis in the US were nearly 19,500 in 2024 and are projected to increase during the forecast period (2025–2034).
• Among the EU4 and the UK, Germany accounted for the highest number of myelofibrosis prevalent cases, followed by Spain, whereas the UK accounted for the lowest number of cases in 2024.
• Based on risk, myelofibrosis cases are stratified as low risk, intermediate-1 risk, intermediate-2, and high risk. The high-risk accounted for the highest number of patients; ~7,210 in 2024 in the US in 2024.
• In 2024, primary myelofibrosis accounted for a significantly higher number of cases in the US, with approximately 14,530 cases reported, compared to just 4,970 cases of secondary myelofibrosis.
• In the US, based on age, myelofibrosis cases are stratified in the age group ≤49 years, 40−69 years, and ≥70 years. ≥70 years of age group accounted for the highest number of patients i.e. nearly 12,100 in 2024.
• In the US, JAK2 mutations were responsible for the highest number of cases, with approximately 11,700 cases in 2024.

Myelofibrosis Report Insights

• Patient Population
• Country-wise Epidemiology Distribution

Myelofibrosis Report Key Strengths

• Ten Years Forecast
• 7MM Coverage 
• Myelofibrosis Epidemiology Segmentation

FAQs

• What are the disease risks, burdens, and unmet needs of myelofibrosis? What will be the growth opportunities across the 7MM concerning the patient population with myelofibrosis?
• What is the historical and forecasted myelofibrosis patient pool in the US, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) the UK, and Japan?

Reasons to Buy

• Insights on patient burden/disease prevalence, evolution in diagnosis, and factors contributing to the change in the epidemiology of the disease during the forecast years.
• Detailed insights on various factors hampering disease diagnosis and other existing diagnostic challenges.