Dr. Bose on Current Treatment Options for Essential Thrombocythemia

Prithviraj Bose, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Leukemia of the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses current treatment options for essential thrombocythemia (ET).

The majority of the field uses hydroxyurea (Hydrea) for high-risk patients with ET and possibly intermediate-risk patients, says Bose. Available data support the use of this agent in this patient population, adds Bose. Interferons are also used in certain centers and are another very reasonable treatment option, according to Bose.

The JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib (Jakafi) was also approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis but is currently under development in ET, concludes Bose.