Young & Rare 2026: A Global Conversation That Brought the MPN Community Together

On February 28, 2026, coinciding with Rare Disease Day, the Global MPN Scientific Foundation hosted the international symposium “Young & Rare: Shaping the Future Together”, an online event dedicated to children, adolescents and young adults living with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).

We are very pleased to share that the event was a great success, bringing together young patients, families, healthcare professionals and members of the global MPN community from different countries. The symposium created an open and meaningful space where experiences, questions and knowledge could be shared across generations and disciplines.

While MPNs are often associated with adults, there is a growing need to address the specific realities of children, teenagers and young adults who live with these rare blood cancers.

During the symposium, participants explored important topics that are increasingly emerging within the community, including:

• Long term disease management

• The impact of treatments over decades

• Hormonal changes and their influence on wellbeing• Family planning and life decisions at a young age

• The emotional and social experience of growing up with an MPN

One of the most valuable aspects of the event was hearing directly from young patients and families, whose voices continue to shape the future of patient centered care in the MPN field.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the young participants who shared their experiences and perspectives, as well as to the international faculty members and healthcare professionals who contributed their expertise and dedication.

Events like this reflect the mission of the Global MPN Scientific Foundation: to create spaces where patients, physicians and industry partners can collaborate, exchange knowledge and improve the real life experience of people living with MPN.

We are also grateful to everyone who joined the symposium from around the world and helped strengthen the growing global MPN community.

For those who were unable to attend the live session, or for anyone who would like to revisit the discussions and presentations, the full content of the symposium is now available.

📺 You can watch the recorded sessions on our YouTube channel

🌐 Additional information and resources are available on our website

We encourage everyone to explore the conversations, insights and questions that emerged during this important international meeting.

Initiatives like this symposium are only possible thanks to the continued support of our community. Donations play a crucial role in allowing the Global MPN Scientific Foundation to organize educational events, develop resources for patients, and promote international collaboration in the MPN field.

Your support helps us continue building spaces where patients, families and experts can meet, share knowledge and move forward together.

If you would like to support our work and help us continue developing global initiatives for the MPN community, we invite you to consider making a donation through our website.

At the Global MPN Scientific Foundation, we believe that knowledge grows when it is shared and that the future of MPN care is shaped through collaboration, community and patient voices.

The Young & Rare symposium represents another step forward in building a global network focused on people, science and shared responsibility.

We look forward to continuing this conversation together with the international MPN community.