Finola Hughes: Raising Awareness of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)

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07/29/23

Emmy-Award Winning Actress Finola Hughes discusses why she is raising awareness for a group of rare, chronic and under-recognized blood cancers called Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)

Finola Hughes is dedicated to increasing awareness for rare blood cancers, while inspiring the public to be advocates for their own health.

Hughes has been a popular actress for the last 30 years. Her long and successful acting career includes over 19 films, including Stayin’ Alive, and 30 different television shows. She is also recognized for originating the role of Victoria the White Cat in the original West End London production of Cats, a show just revived on Broadway in 2016.

Now, Hughes is taking on a new role: raising awareness for a group of rare, chronic and under-recognized blood cancers called Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (or MPNs).

MPNs are a group of diseases that affect normal blood cell production in the bone marrow. In this case the bone marrow causes an overproduction of one or more blood cell types (red cells, white cells or platelets). Complications arise over time due to the abnormally high number of blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and in the circulating blood.