Dr. Rampal on the Importance of Risk Stratification in Myelofibrosis

Raajit K. Rampal, MD, PhD, hematologic oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the importance of risk stratification in myelofibrosis.

Risk stratification with available scoring systems can inform whether a patient with myelofibrosis will derive a sustained response with JAK inhibitors, Rampal says. Additionally, risk stratification can provide insight into how likely a patient is to have short-term disease progression. These factors may inform treatment selection. For example, patients with transplant-eligible myelofibrosis might be considered for transplant earlier based on the scoring system criteria, Rampal explains.

Notably, risk stratification can also indicate whether a patient should be considered for a clinical trial. The limitations of JAK inhibitors are known, so some patients with a high risk of disease progression on JAK inhibitors could be considered for an investigational strategy earlier in their disease course based on scoring system criteria, Rampal concludes.