Dr. Verstovsek on the Role of Prognostication in Myelofibrosis

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, the United Energy Resources, Inc. Professor of Medicine; director of the Hanns A. Pielenz Clinical Research Center for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms​; and chief of the Section for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms in the Department of Leukemia of the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the role of prognostication in myelofibrosis.

Prognostication per the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines comprises various prognostic scoring systems to determine a patients’ risk of dying from myelofibrosis, says Verstovsek. The primary goal of prognostication is to determine whether the patient is high risk, meaning they are likely to die from their disease within 5 years, Verstovsek explains. In that setting, bone marrow transplant should be considered because patients generally have a shorter life expectancy, Verstovsek says.

Beyond determining transplant eligibility, prognostication can inform other treatment-related factors, says Verstovsek. Although no therapies are approved to eliminate disease, treatments designed to alleviate for anemia, splenomegaly, or symptom burden may be initiated for patients with myelofibrosis, concludes Verstovsek.