Dr. El Chaer on the Role of Next-Generation Sequencing in MPNs

Firas El Chaer, MD, an assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine at Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center, UVA Health, discusses the role of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).

Utilizing NGS is an important step in the treatment of patients with MPNs, says El Chaer. For example, treatment selection for patients with primary myelofibrosis historically relied on the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System. Currently, scoring is determined by a patient’s mutational profile beyond JAK, CALR, and MPL mutations, says El Chaer.

As is the case in other hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia, NGS can provide prognostic information to aid in treatment planning for patients with MPNs. As such, NGS should be incorporated into the treatment paradigm for patients in this space, El Chaer concludes.