Dr. Abu-Zeinah on the Efficacy of Interferon-Alpha in Polycythemia Vera

Ghaith Abu-Zeinah, MD, an instructor in medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and an assistant attending physician at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses the efficacy of interferon-alpha (IFN) in polycythemia vera (PV).

Findings from a retrospective study revealed that older and younger patients with PV derived an improvement in myelofibrosis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) with IFN compared with hydroxyurea, as well as phlebotomy alone, said Abu-Zeinah.

Low-risk patients had a 20-year MFS rate of 84% with IFN vs 65% and 55% with hydroxyurea and phlebotomy alone, respectively. Moreover, the 20-year OS rate in these patients was 100% with IFN, 85% with hydroxyurea, and 80% with phlebotomy alone.

Patients with high-risk PV had a 20-year MFS rate of 89% with IFN, 41% with hydroxyurea, and 36% with phlebotomy alone. The 20-year OS rates in this subgroup were 66%, 40%, and 14%, respectively.